Frozen: Love Burns
by PrincessSydni
Summary: Hans returns to Arendelle with good intentions of making amends for his wicked behavior three months prior. But things spiral out of control when he actually ends up falling in love with Queen Elsa. A romance/action story that takes place 3 months after the Great Thaw. Elsa-Hans ; Kristoff-Anna. Rated teen for some violence, blood, and romance scenes. Story in progress.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Anna's heart races as she runs as fast as her legs will take her. The trees and green plants seemed to stand still, watching her as her feet sped across the forest floor. There are several gashes running along the sleeves of her dress, and her skin bleeds, staining the intact part of her sleeves a deep crimson. The expression of pain on her sobbing face reveals that there is something more she is crying about than her bleeding arms. But she ran. And ran. And ran. She ran like she was being chased by a monster, and she didn't look back. Her eyes were so full of tears that she could barely see. Everything was blurred. She bumped into trees and tripped over branches lingering on the forest floor. Finally, she had to stop, and coughed up blood. She sat there on a tree stump, alone and scared, tears streaming down her face and blood running down her arms. She shook her head slightly, slowly, and whispered to herself, "No."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Elsa woke up, breathing heavily. It was dark outside, and the moonlight shined in through the window. A layer of frost covered Elsa's bed. "It was only a dream," she said quietly to herself. "A nightmare," she corrected, still breathing heavily.

She then noticed the frost covering her bed sheets. "You've got to get those powers under control, Elsa," she whispered, disgusted with herself.

The memories of the great freeze came back to her. It had been three months since the great thaw. The memory of her incident with Anna as kids immediately flooded her mind afterward. She stared at her hands, and held out her palms in front of her, hating every ounce of the cursed blood coursing through her veins because of what had happened.

She shook her head in horror. "You can't hurt anybody ever again like that. You can't hurt Anna, especially." Oh, Anna. How she cared for her with a sisterly love. She would go through any measures to protect her loving, forgiving, sweet, innocent sister.

"Anna!" Elsa suddenly said, overcome by fear. Her nightmare was about Anna. She couldn't get those images of Anna running alone and hurt through the woods out of her head. She couldn't force the picture of Anna's helpless crying out of her mind.

"I will never let that happen to her," she said, shaking her head. "I will never let my sister cry again."

Her stomach ached. She felt a very strong urge to check on Anna, just to make sure. She couldn't fall asleep without knowing her sister was okay. So she put on a robe over her nightgown and opened her bedroom door, slipping out silently.

With delicate, careful footsteps she trudged down the hall to her sister's room. She quietly opened the door, and well-oiled hinges didn't leak a sound. She crept over to Anna's bed and peered over at her sister, who was sleeping heavily.

Then Elsa couldn't stifle a giggle on her part. Her little sister still snored. Anna had always been an... active sleeper. Anna's hair was messy, tangled and gnarled, disoriented from her bear-like slumber.

Elsa smiled. She brushed back one of Anna's lingering hairs behind her ear. Elsa ran her finger down her sister's cheek.

Her smile faded. "I'm sorry, Anna." Her whisper was filled with emotion. "I really am."

Elsa looked at her sleeping sister, imagining her pure, loving face when she had thawed from her statue form, looking at Elsa and when she said those words that meant the world to her: "I love you."

Then Elsa whispered again to Anna, and said, "I will never let that happen again. I will never shut myself out like that. For your sake. I will never let you cry again. We can be happy. Like kids again." Elsa looked at her sister's closed eyelids. "I love you, Anna."

And with that, she was consoled by her sister's sleeping form, reassured that Anna was okay. She crept out of Anna's room, as silent as when she had come in, and gently closed the door behind her. She glided back to her room with light footsteps, closed the door, took off her robe, and let sleep overtake her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hans stood tall on the front deck of the ship, looking with mixed emotions at his destination. Arendelle. The very city that he had nearly ruled over, and he would have been king of, if it weren't for the love of two sisters.

King Hans. He didn't know why he had liked the sound of it so much before. It disgusted him now, the measures he had taken to acquire that title. Now he was just Hans. They stripped him of his princely title when he was thrown in prison. Rightfully, he must admit. He deserved everything that was in store for him. His brothers hating him, his father hating him even more (if that was even possible), being imprisoned for three months. He probably deserved far more than three months. But some rich man had bribed the judge for a shorter sentence for Hans. Hans had no idea why that man did that. Everybody was supposed to hate him, and he knew that he deserved it.

Anyway, why was he on this ship? Why would he be coming back here after what had happened? He felt he had left something unfinished in Arendelle. No, he did not seek revenge- nothing of the sort. He felt he needed to apologize for his actions directly. He needed to speak with the Queen. There was something eating at him. There was something heavy in his gut, making it harder and harder everyday to go on living. He believed that what was eating at him was guilt- so he needed to tell the Queen he was sorry. He needed to at least try to get her to forgive him. Maybe then the eating at his gut would stop. It was a simple plan, worth a try.

He strode over to the side of the deck, and looked into the water. He saw the reflection of a man with good, changed intentions. Not to mention a dashingly handsome one. Sure, he wasn't royal anymore, but nobody said he couldn't _look_ like he was.

Hans averted his gaze from his reflection in the water. He looked beyond the bow of the boat, and caught sight of the docks of Arendelle, which were growing steadily closer as the ship moved gently along. The ship drew closer to the wharf, and the crew prepared to drop the anchor.

Hans thanked the head of the vessel, who clearly did not recognize Hans from his last visit to Arendelle, before he dismounted the boat.

The Captain smiled back brightly, and bowed. "No, sir, sailing the seas is my pleasure. Thank you for choosing my vessel to transport you, and I wish you a pleasant journey onward. Best of luck, friend!"

Hans replied, "And to you too, Captain."

Hans disembarked the boat along with the rest of the passengers, stepping foot onto the bustling wharf. It wasn't as busy as it had been on Coronation Day, but there was a joyous vibe in the air due to the open gates. It was a welcoming feeling, Hans decided.

He easily blended in with the moving crowds of people making their way about the town.

He walked at a relaxed pace on the cobbled streets, making his way to the castle's open gates. Surprisingly, and convenient for Hans, no one seemed to recognize him. But he definitely wasn't complaining.

Now inside the square, he eyed a young servant standing idly at the castle's gates. He decided that he could take a diplomatic approach and act like he was a dignitary of high status with business with the Queen. Hans guessed that the young man was likely green and new at the job, and probably didn't know who Hans really was.

Hans approached the servant and said smoothly with regal formality, "I have come seeking the Queen. I have matters very urgent and important to discuss with Her Majesty."

The servant, who had been slumping a bit, immediately straightened at attention. He looked as though someone had just slapped him awake. "Y- Yes, of course, s- sir. I'll go and inform Her Majesty immediately. I- I will return and notify you of her answer," he managed to sputter shakily. The poor lad appeared to be absolutely flustered.

The servant hastily left him, and Hans took a deep breath, weary of the massive task before him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The shaky servant found Elsa in the library, mulling over the benefits of taking on a certain country as a trade partner. "Y- Your Highness, a... erm... r- royal gentleman requested to speak with you," the nervous young man stammered to Her Majesty from the doorway.

And the Queen, not paying much attention to the servant's jumbled statement, responded absentmindedly, "Yes, send him to me immediately." All that registered on her mind was that she could take a break from the boring treaty. The fact she hadn't scheduled a meeting with the "royal gentleman", and didn't even know who he was, was not noticed by her numb brain. And she had absolutely no idea that she was about to confront the man who had nearly stolen her crown and attempted to murder both her and her beloved sister.

So the servant returned to Hans and informed him that Queen Elsa was awaiting him in the library, and gave him directions. On the walk to his destination, the formerly Prince Hans braced himself for Elsa's reaction.

_I almost killed her and Anna._ Hans shuddered with disgust at himself at the memory. _She probably won't take it well when I just stride into the room._ Then, he began to have worrying thoughts against his original intention. _She'll never forgive me. I can't just walk in there... I almost _murdered_ her for Pete's sake! She could have me arrested again, and she will always hate me. But that's not the point... I didn't come here to try to stop her from hating me, or to have her _accept_ my apology, just to _give_ her my honest apology._

Suddenly he regretted returning to Arendelle. _Too late to turn back now,_ he then thought. _I can't leave here without apologizing. I could never live with myself... I just have to see her..._

Finally, Hans found his way to the entrance of the library, and walked in, shutting the door quietly behind him. He took a deep breath. The room was empty of servants.

_Good. I need a one-on-one,_ he thought.

He made his way to Queen Elsa, who was pacing at the back of the room, seemingly deep in thought, and didn't seem to notice him. He cherished the last moment of peace, and then made his move. He knelt before Her Majesty. "It has been some time, Queen Elsa," he said, wearing a slight smile on his face, searching for her eyes.

Only then did Elsa take notice of his presence. She looked at him, and it took a slight moment for her to realize who she was looking at. "Prince Hans!" She gasped. "How did you get past the guards...? W-what are you doing here? You-"

Hans rose to his feet and cut her off. "Actually, it's just Hans now. I was stripped of my title when I was arrested," he said casually, sort of jokingly, trying to get on her nerves, ignoring her questions and shock.

"You should still be in prison! Away from Arendelle! Why have you come back? You're a monster... I'm going to call the guards-"

Again, he interrupted her. "Turns out, my sentence was only three months. They let me off easy. I'm a free man now," he said, casual as ever, turning away from her with that smirk on his face.

It was this casualty and neglecting to answer her questions that began to get on Elsa's nerves. "Look, I don't know why you think you can just waltz in here and engage in conversation with me after what... What..." Elsa struggled to find her words, the memory reopening up a wound. "After what you did," She recovered.

Hans's expression turned sober and serious. He turned to face her. "I know. I understand." He held up his hands innocently. "That was why I returned in the first place," he said, his emerald eyes meeting hers. "Look, I know you don't want to talk to me. I know you can't stand to see me. I know I'm probably the last guy you'd want to be confronted by. But I didn't come here to hurt you. What I did before was enough." He took a step closer to her, still holding her gaze. "I came here to apologize to you, even though I don't expect you to forgive me."

Elsa turned away and refused to meet his eyes. "Well, your expectations were correct."

Hans took a deep breath, and then exhaled heavily. Then he shivered. Normally, you're sweating in situations like this. Why was he cold?

"You really hurt Anna, you know. And that hurts me. But it's really her that you owe the apology to," Elsa said, emotion and hurt creeping into her voice as she broke the cold silence.

Hans said truthfully, "You're right. I did hurt her. What I did was wrong, cruel, wicked, selfish, immoral, evil-"

"-manipulative, heartless, unforgivable," Elsa added.

Hans nodded respectfully. "You're right. And I'm not asking you to like me. Just hear me out." He paused. "If I may speak to Anna..."

Elsa turned to face him. "There is no way I will let you be near her again, after what you did. You'll only hurt her more. Which is the last thing I want."

He sighed. "Elsa, I'm done hurting people. I'm a different man now. I'm not the man I was before." After a moment of silence, he spoke up again. "Three months alone in a cold prison cell gives you time to think. To reflect on your actions. To wonder what you could have done differently. And what I learned, behind those bars, was that I was wrong. I was selfish. I wanted to be loved and adored by a people, by a country, to make up for the love I hadn't gotten as a child." He paused for a moment. "I was the thirteenth child born to my mother. The unlucky, cursed thirteenth, as I've always been told. My mother died when she was giving birth to me." Once again, Hans paused, studying the ground. "My father loved her. And because of that, he hated me. My brothers didn't help the situation either. Nobody likes the number-thirteen baby-child who killed the mother."

Then he looked back up at her, and she could see that Hans was almost in tears. "Anyways, I wanted to be loved. And I went about it the wrong way. I had my values mixed up. I took advantage of your sister, and I tricked her into thinking she was in love. And I was wrong, totally wrong. I screwed up. I screwed up bad. And I'm sorry, Elsa. I was so desperate. But I see how wrong I was, and I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

He looked into her eyes, hoping she'd understand. He was beginning to realize how important this was to him. He realized he needed Elsa to forgive him. "Elsa, if I had to plunge a sword into my own heart to make you forgive me, or know that my apology is sincere, I would do that here and now."

Elsa stared into his eyes. She was awe-struck. She saw how sweet and compassionate he could be. "Hans... That won't be necessary."

Hans smiled. "Thank you. I was hoping to stay on this earth a little while longer," he said. "But it wouldn't be worth living on this earth without your forgiveness."

Elsa could feel her cheeks go red. She felt a warm sensation in her chest. She struggled to speak. "H-Hans... If you really mean that..."

He smiled. "Of course I do. I've never meant anything more in my life."

She looked down. "...then I can't help but to try to forgive you. " She bit her lip. "But something like that, it's not so easy..."

He took her delicate hands in those gentle, reassuring gloved hands of his. "Don't worry, I'm patient," he said charmingly, his loving eyes meeting hers.

For once, Elsa smiled. She once again felt that warm sensation in her chest. But it didn't last long. Her fingers tingled with her powers and Hans's gloves were now covered in frost, and his hands were ice cold. She stared in horror at what she'd done and immediately pulled away.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I- I didn't mean to-"

Hans, his hands obviously freezing to death, brushed the frost off his gloves. "It's fine," he laughed it off nervously, trying not to make a big deal of it. He reached for her hands again. But Elsa pulled away.

"No- please, Hans. I don't want to hurt you." she looked at him, scared of herself, with a pleading, pained look on her face.

Hans once again wore that handsome smile of his. "Thank you for worrying about me, Elsa. But I'll be fine." He gently ran his hand down her cheek and stroked it. He held his hand under her chin and leaned in and kissed her.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Kristoff! Kristoff!" Anna squealed giddily, tugging on his hand to get his attention. It was in moments like this she couldn't contain her pure, child-like excitement. "These are definitely the ones, Kristoff!"

Kristoff turned away from the pair of mountain boots he was examining on the shoemaker's stall when he turned to see what Anna was getting so excited about. It was a pair of knee-high, pure leather men's boots adorned with golden trim, clearly meant to be worn by a rich man of royalty. Kristoff couldn't hold back his laughter. "Those are definitely not suitable for ice harvesting," he laughed, amused by Anna's selection.

The two of them were in the town market, looking for a new pair of mountain boots for Kristoff after his last pair ended up somewhere in the depths of the ocean after Anna had tried to punch out a sassy fisherman with Kristoff's footwear- which were still on his feet a moment before she flipped out. ("It wasn't my fault that your boots were the first thing I saw after he told me to 'calm down, sweet cheeks', and it definitely wasn't my fault that he threw your boots out into the ocean," she had said after the incident, unable to hold in a flurry of light-hearted giggles.)

Anyway, _Kristoff_ was looking for new mountain boots, at least. Anna seemed to be looking for anything _but_ mountain boots, constantly being distracted by princely boots or high-heels for a lady. Whatever. He adored the girl, who was always excited, forever optimistic and bubbly, constantly feisty and defiant. He looked at her, her red-like-fire pigtail braids, matching her hot-like-fire, can't-contain-me personality. He looked at her gleaming eyes, which mostly never stayed at one place for too long. Anna was always moving, always mixing it up, going with the flow. He loved that in her. He needed the excitement she brought into his life. She was a good, caring, innocent, loving soul. Over the last three months, Kristoff had learned to accept one thing: she was his girl.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Kristoff."

Anna said the word simply. She loved that name, and the one who owned it. They were back in the castle now, having just finished picking out a pair of boots for Arendelle's official Ice Master. And Anna had to admit, he did look rather nice in them.

Kristoff looked down at Anna and took a step closer to her, facing her, taking in her brilliance with his happiness apparent on his face. "Yes?" He smiled.

Anna had decided a while ago that she loved that smile, and wanted to do more things to make it appear more. "I have a surprise for you," she said, overtaken by that wonderful excitement of hers. She smiled gleefully, almost bouncing up and down.

Kristoff hadn't noticed until now that Anna's hands were hidden behind her back. "Show me," he said, wondering what she had, but it was impossible to know. She was unpredictable, that one.

She revealed what she was concealing behind her back in a swift movement of her arms. It was a beautiful, circular compass, no doubt the outcome of neat craftsmanship. The compass face was outlined in gold, and on the back of the compass, it was engraved, in clear letters, 'Kristoff'.

Kristoff was amazed. Words could not begin to describe how fond he was of the craftsmanship. He was incredibly happy, but not surprised, that Anna had picked out such a wonderful gift for him.

Anna once again bounced up and down, elated. She said, "I had Ronald, the best craftsman in town, make it. He said it took him all of three months to make. I figured a compass could be a nice gift because it was useful AND pretty." She squealed with delight.

Then all of a sudden she stopped bouncing and rambling, and looked up at Kristoff, and said, cautiously, seriously, in a caring way that he'd heard before, "Do you like it?"

He had been staring at her, smiling all along, waiting for the moment she asked. Then it was his turn to laugh giddily, heartily. "I love it!" He yelped, picking up delicate little Anna in his arms, twirling her around like he'd done before. But then he set her down gently, and this time he didn't ask for permission when he kissed her on the lips. When they finally pulled away, he held her by the shoulders and looked into her beautiful eyes.

"I don't know what I did to get a girl like you."

"Neither do I, but whatever it was, I'm glad you did it," was Anna's reply, pulling her big mountain man into an embrace.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A little while after Anna presented Kristoff his supreme gift, Kristoff excused himself from Anna's presence. They had been lounging around in the castle, sharing some of their memories from their childhoods, when Kristoff suddenly became serious, and looked at Anna.

He said, "Excuse me. I'll be back in a few minutes. It'll only be a short time. I'll be right back." He managed a nervous smile.

That got Anna panicked. She stopped being bubbly and her laughter ceased and she said suddenly, "What's the matter? Did I do something wrong? Did I? Please, tell me, Kristoff," she pleaded. She hated being alone.

"No, no, not at all!" Kristoff reassured her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I'm having a great time- how couldn't I, when I'm with you?" He managed a smile. "It's just something I gotta do."

Anna was a little reassured. "Okay," she said reluctantly. "But be quick, please," she said with a little smile of her own. She _really _hated being alone.

"I will," he said, and he started down the hall.

He stopped a servant and asked him, "Do you know where Queen Elsa is?"

The servant replied, "Yes, she's in the library, down the hall aways to your left." Kristoff nodded. "Thanks," he said and was off.

He took a deep breath when he reached the library door. He'd only properly spoken to the Queen once, at some royal party where he had to act "like a gentleman". So he was a little nervous.

Then he thought to himself, _What the heck? Why are you nervous, Kristoff? You're just talking to Anna's sister. Nothing to even be nervous of._

But he thought he heard voices on the other side of the door, and he was a little intimidated. He was never any good at talking to people. _Okay, Kristoff, just focus on what you're here to do._ So with that, he knocked on the library door.

"Your Majesty?" He called. "It's, uh, me... uh, Kristoff," he said, hoping he didn't sound as shaky and nervous to the Queen as he did to himself. "I was, uh, hoping to talk to you, regarding Anna."

There was a long silence in the other side of the door, although Kristoff was sure he'd heard voices before.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

After what seemed like hours, Kristoff heard Elsa say, "Yes, Kristoff, come in." There was something he couldn't quite put his finger on. But he opened the door and entered, nervous, anyway.

When he entered, he saw Elsa give him a weak smile.

"I know it's always been official and formal between us, but you don't have to call me Your Majesty when we're not at royal parties. Please, call me Elsa."

Kristoff shakily replied, "Yes, Your M-" he stopped himself. "I mean, Elsa." He smiled nervously.

Elsa said, "There, that's more like it. I mean, you should get used to it. We are almost family." Elsa gave him a wink.

Kristoff shifted uncomfortably, standing a distance away from her. "Right," he said. "But I came to talk about something else about Anna." He pawed at his hair, not at ease in this environment. "She means the world to me. I - I..." He struggled to say those three big words. "I love her," he finally managed.

Elsa looked at him expectantly.

"You see, she's the sweetest thing. She's been giving me all these gifts out of the kindness of her heart, and I, uh, want to give her something back. Not a ring just yet, I'm afraid. But, you know- a, uh, gift. I was wondering if you could help me, uh, pick something out for her. "

THERE! He'd finally said it. Now he looked at Elsa. She was smiling.

"I'm sure she'd love anything you got for her, Kristoff. The best part of the gift, for her, is the fact that someone is thinking of her, and is giving her the gift lovingly. That's what matters most to her. But yes, I'll help you pick out a gift for her." Elsa smiled at him. " I can tell that you love her, Kristoff. And I can't thank you enough for that. You're a good man."

Kristoff got the odd feeling that she was speaking for someone else's benefit, or that someone else was listening to their conversation. But he tried to ignore that dubious feeling because he was happy that Elsa had said yes. It went better than he thought it would. "I do love her, Elsa. And I can't thank you enough for this."

Elsa said, "Don't think anything of it. You are dismissed, Kristoff." He once again thanked the queen and left, letting out a deep breath once the door closed.

"That was close," muttered Elsa, as soon as she heard Kristoff make his way down the hall.

Hans stepped out of his hiding spot behind a book shelf. "That boy has some timing. Had to come and spoil our kiss, huh?" Hans muttered, annoyed.

Elsa turned to face him. "Yeah, he does, actually. He came just in time to save my sister from _your_ evil clutches."

Hans put his hands in the air in surrender. "Look, I'm sorry, Elsa." Then he turned away and mumbled, "But I must admit, Anna's taste _did_ take a hit. Falling for some stuttering mountain oaf?"

"What was that now?" Elsa replied sharply, coming to Kristoff's defense again.

"Nothing. Sorry if I have offended thee, O Queen," Hans chuckled quietly, joking around with that smirk plastered across his face.

Elsa chose to ignore that comment. "Look, we have to be serious now. Nobody can find out about..." She struggled to find the word. "Us," she finished.

Hans chose to be mischievous. "I didn't know there was an 'us'," he said jokingly, still smirking.

Elsa whirled on him. "Hans, we KISSED. If anyone ever finds out, especially Anna..." Her voice trailed off, probably thinking of all the possible ways Anna could viciously murder both of them.

"Relax, Elsa. Anna doesn't even know I'm here," said Hans calmly.

"Let's keep it that way," Elsa replied.

"So what's your plan? Are you gonna send me home?" Hans wondered, because he had no idea what would come next.

"I was thinking about it," Elsa admitted. "But then I thought it'd be much more fun to keep you here. I know a great hiding spot where Anna will never find you."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note: wow, guys! I didn't know what to expect for this story, but I'm really, really grateful for the views, follows, and favorite. Thank you especially to dokidokihitman for following and being the first favorite! Thanks to all viewers and followers too! All reviews are appreciated. I need criticism because I feel my writing needs something more, and you guys being writers, I'm always ready for advice. Also, please don't hesitate to correct me if I made any grammar or spelling errors. Thanks!**

**-Sydni :)**

Chapter 8

"What am I, some sort of pet?" Hans groaned, not fully realizing the significance of her words.

Elsa tilted her head to the side, and looked at him expectantly, waiting for her words to actually sink in. The moment came.

"Wait..." Muttered Hans. "If you want me to stay here... You want me to say here! That means something, right?" He laughed joyfully.

Elsa smiled at him. "Yeah. I guess it does." The warm feeling returned to her. But then cruelly left her, as she hit cold, hard reality. Her smile faded. "Hans... We would never be able to see each other... I'd be hiding you all the time... We could never marry... Anna could never know... And Anna does _not_ like secrets."

Hans once again took his hands in hers. She'd grown to love that. He found her gaze and calmed her. "Elsa. I'm sure we can make this work," he said reassuringly, his eyes twinkling. "But we do have something, right?"

Now it was Elsa's time to reassure him. "I can't ignore it, Hans. So unfortunately, yes, we do."

Then someone cruelly broke up their moment. Again. _The timing of these people_, Hans thought, irked.

There was a pounding on the library door. "Your Majesty! Have you finished writing that treaty? The council members are eagerly awaiting your presentation!" It was Kai, just checking up on the Queen. Kai knew of all the newfound pressure she was being burdened with, and he tried his best to help her out and check on her when he could.

"I might need a little more time, Kai. But I'm working on it. Thank you," she replied.

"Yes, Your Majesty." And he departed.

As soon as he was gone, Hans chortled , "Wow, your first lie for me. You are a devoted lady." He once again bore that devilish smirk on his face.

Devilish and cute, Elsa noted. She had chose to dismiss his last comment. She had bigger things to worry about than his witty sense of humor. "Okay, I should probably show you to your hiding spot now. We don't want anybody finding you. I'll supply you with food, water and a blanket."

Hans sighed over-dramatically. "Okay then. Let's get on with it."

Elsa started across the room to the door and opened it quietly. She checked to see if anybody was looking. _All clear. _Then she motioned for Hans to follow her.

They made their way down the castle's long corridors. They had to surmount several sets of stairs to reach the top floor of the castle. Finally, Elsa found what she was looking for. She opened a door, and it appeared to be a small closet.

_Odd, _Hans thought. There was normally nothing small in a castle. She took Hans hand and led him to the back of the closet, and opened up a trapdoor on the ceiling. It was an attic. An attic in a closet. _Wonderful_, Hans thought.

He groaned. "C'mon, an attic OR a closet I can take, but an attic IN a closet? You are really taking extremes, huh?"

"Just get in. Stop your whining, mister," Elsa mocked playfully. "I'll go get you some food and stuff, so you'll be able to barely survive this horrible, cold dungeon."

Hans entered the attic obediently, but not without huffing and puffing. "This is no way to treat a former prince," he muttered, bothered, under his breath.

Elsa just smiled. But then she quickly shut the attic door and exited the closet. "Don't come out. Ever. Until I say so. I'm going to get your stuff." And with that, she left the formerly Prince Hans of the Southern Isles locked up in a dusty old attic, inside of an undersized, little closet. She had no idea what she was getting herself into.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Anna paced back and forth with her hands behind her back, anticipating Kristoff's return and getting antsy. She has been pacing, back and forth, back and forth, for so long she was sure that she was going to carve out a rut on the castle's polished wooden floor.

_Where is he?_ She thought. _He said he'd be back in a few minutes. It's felt like hours..._

In reality, it'd been about eight minutes. Anna was not very patient at times like this. Out the window, the sun was making its beautiful exit from the sky, painting the sky a sort of blend of orange and pink as it set.

Kristoff startled her. "Hey." He approached her, coming from behind her, smiling.

She turned to face him. "Kristoff!" she said happily, her eyes lighting up, unable to conceal her excitement that he'd returned, even if had only been a few minutes.

Then she crossed her arms, her wicked grin fading a little. "You said you'd only be a few minutes."

Kristoff laughed. "And I was," he said, smiling, raising an eyebrow expectantly. "Anyways, sorry about that. What do you want to do now?" He looked down at her, and couldn't help but smile. The girl had a knack for hitting him in the soft spot. She knew how to coax that smile out of him, without even trying.

Anna looked right back up at him, bearing that smile of a mischievous, brave, little angel that Kristoff loved. "It doesn't matter, really, as long as I'm with you."

He stared into her eyes for a little while, brainstorming possible activities to enjoy with Anna. "Hey, maybe we could go for a sled ride with Sven. The sunset is absolutely gorgeous. Reminds me of you."

She gushed. "Kristoff, that sounds like a wonderful idea."

So they packed some warm clothes, in case they decided to visit the North Mountain. Kristoff went out to prepare the sled, and he fetched Sven from the castle's stables. Kristoff, of course, fed him a carrot in his usual manner, voicing Sven for him.

Then he hooked his loyal reindeer up to the sled and said to him, "We're gonna have a great time, buddy! Anna will love it!" Kristoff had to admit, he was absolutely ecstatic about going on a sled ride with Anna. He'd only done it once before, and his sled had ended up exploding in the bottom of an abyss. Ah, good times, good times. This time, though, he'd be careful to avoid that route, and they'd return by dark. He went to fetch Anna from the castle with an extra spring in his step. That girl made him happy.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Kristoff held the reins while Sven's hooves pounded on the ground furiously, taking them away from Arendelle. Anna sat next to Kristoff, careful not to rest her feet on the dash this time.

"Were you raised in a barn?" She remembered Kristoff asking, while his spit proceeded to land in her face when he attempted to clean the dash.

"No, I was raised in a castle," she had responded, wiping his spittle off of her face. Anna brightened at the memory.

The sled was moving at an incredible pace. Anna liked fast.

"So, where exactly are we going?" Anna asked Kristoff, although it was clear to him that she would be content no matter where he was taking her.

He smiled. "To my favorite viewpoint on the mountain pass," was his reply. He knew these mountains well. He had travelled them his whole life. He was taking her to a place on the mountain with an incredible view, where they could watch the mystical sunset together. He longed to wrap his muscular, oversized arm around Anna's petite shoulders. It would be perfect. He began to fantasize dreamily about the look in her eyes when she took in the magical sight. He thought Anna would enjoy such a beauty of nature. He couldn't wait to see her eyes light up in delight when she gazed at the beautiful sun descending the illuminated, massive mountains. He had Sven gallop with such great speed because Kristoff wanted to get there in time to see the sight.

Then, his daydream was interrupted. He smelled something. It took him a few moments to place the scent.

_Smoke_, he thought. _Why would there be smoke? There are no ice harvesters out here at this time of the year, and nobody lives around here._ Then it dawned on him. _Bandits._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

His heart sank with worry. How could he have been so stupid? Here he was, foolishly getting excited about a sunset sight, when in reality he was putting both of their lives in jeopardy. _Anna!_ He wouldn't let them touch her. NOBODY was gonna lay a finger on his girl. If they did, they'd pay. With their lives.

Before he lost himself in rage at the thought of the bandits' grubby fingers on Anna, he tried to take a logical view of the situation. How could he solve the problem? Well, he couldn't turn back now. The trail on the mountain they were on wasn't wide enough. There wasn't enough room for Sven to turn around.

He thought of stopping in his tracks and waiting for the fire to go out, so he could sneak past the bandits' camp (which was surely around here somewhere) and avoid them. That wouldn't work, because if he got stuck out here after dark, wolves could come out.

Maybe he could fight the bandits- no, that wouldn't work at all. There's no telling how many of them there were, and Anna, wanting to help, would surely get herself into trouble.

He decided that he would continue following the trail until it got wide enough so Sven could turn around, and then he'd have Sven break off into a dead sprint as fast as his reindeer legs would carry him, so they could escape without trouble.

Anna could tell that something was wrong. She smelled the smoke, too, and hadn't neglected to notice that the joy fell from Kristoff's face when the scent appeared. He had tensed up, and looked worried.

_Stupid smoke,_ she thought, hating when Kristoff was worried.

"What's wrong, Kristoff?" She asked carefully, and the joy had fled from her face, too. She looked into his eyes, hoping he'd answer. She hated being ignored.

Kristoff definitely didn't want to answer that question, for fear she'd get worked up. But when he turned to face her, he realized that if he gave her less than the truth, or ignored her question, it'd hurt her much more than if he told her what was really going on. He gave in.

"I'm worried," he answered finally. "There could be... Bandits on this trail." He closed his eyes, and then turned to her and opened them. "And I don't want anything to happen to you." He said that without a pang of doubt in his voice. That was the only thing that he was certain of right now, and that was the only thing he could tell her without hating himself for being so foolish to bring her out here at all.

Many minutes passed with no signs of bandits. He no longer smelled smoke, and they saw no signs of a bandit camp. His worries died down a little. The pain in his stomach became lesser, until it was so small that it was barely noticeable. Then he lightened up a bit. Their destination was in sight, the sun was still setting, and they made it here safely.

"Hey, we're almost there, and we made it without being attacked by bandits or wolves or an angry Wandering Oaken, and my sled didn't explode!" He laughed.

That made Anna feel better. "You're right," she giggled, happiness returning to her.

Kristoff smiled. He was doing that more and more often. When she smiled in that way that only she could, he couldn't help it. He just HAD to give in.

They arrived at the viewpoint and Kristoff slowed Sven to a halt.

"Easy, buddy." He dismounted the sled and then helped Anna out. He took something out of the trunk of his sled.

"A blindfold," he explained. "It's a surprise." His face broke into a grin.

Anna was a little hesitant to put it on. She didn't really like surprises when she was the one being surprised. But then she looked into his eyes and was consoled by his smile. She was sure that he had good intentions. She decided to trust him.

"Okay," she said finally, a smile reappearing on her cheeks. And she let him tie the blindfold over her eyes.

He took her small, delicate hand in his oversized, gruff one, and led her to the edge of the cliff, and sat her down gently but carefully, letting her feet dangle. He sat down huskily beside her, still holding her hand. Then, with his other hand, he removed the blindfold.

"Surprise," he said softly, letting her soak in the marvelous view.

Her jaw dropped open, clearly fascinated and amazed. After a while, she slowly closed it, and said, savoring the words, "Kristoff. It's... Beautiful."

Kristoff smiled. The look in her eyes said it all. He lived for that.

The view truly was best described as beautiful. It was beyond words, beyond comparison. The sunset and the mountains. What a beautiful sight. They sat there in the glory of it all, hand in hand.

Kristoff placed his massive arm around her shoulders, encasing her in his grip. She let her head rest on his firm chest. Just the way he'd imagined it. Perfect.

And they stayed like that, breathing together in silence, until the sun disappeared below the horizon. Then Anna pulled away from him, and gazed up intently at his eyes. He looked down at her, their eyes locking.

"Kristoff."

He only smiled in reply.

"I love you."

Just then, Kristoff's heart skipped a beat. Actually, more like five beats. He was dumb-struck. He couldn't begin to explain how over-joyed, how relieved he was to hear those three, simple, but huge, words come out of Anna's mouth. He could squeal like a kid, he was so jubilant.

He finally managed to reply, in a voice barely audible, "I love you, too, Anna."

He pulled her into an emotional, loving embrace.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

After what seemed like hours, Hans heard the closet doorknob turn, and then he heard the door open and close.

"Hans?" A familiar voice called.

"I'm still up here," he called back. "Take your time, sweet heart, I'm not starving or anything."

Elsa sighed, opened the attic trapdoor and climbed up. He was sitting cross-legged on the attic's musty floor. The ceiling wasn't high enough for him to stand. She gave him what she managed to scavenge from the royal dinner table at the pricey cost of a few quizzical looks from the servants and guests.

He moaned, grumbled, and complained.

"I'm sorry, did you prefer the food inside of your prison cell to my chefs' cooking?" Elsa demanded, annoyed by his awful manners.

Reading the threat, Hans put his hands up in defeat and mumbled, "Okay, okay, okay. Point taken, Your Highness."

Elsa handed him his blanket, and was about to descend the ladder, when she noticed Hans was staring at her. Uncomfortable, she asked, "Hans?"

He continued staring and did not seem to notice that she'd said his name.

"Hans?" She asked, louder this time.

As though he had been jolted awake from a deep slumber, Hans sat up straight and banged his head into the attic ceiling. "Ow," he muttered, rubbing the top of his head.

Elsa couldn't stifle a giggle. "Real smooth, Prince Charming."

All Hans could do was give her a child-like grin and shrug, his emerald eyes twinkling.

She smiled back, and descended the ladder. She then exited the attic. She was about to leave the closet when something stopped her. "Goodnight, Hans," she said. "I... Had fun today."

"Me, too," Hans called from above her, and you could almost hear his smile. "Goodnight, Your Highness," he called in play mockery.

Feeling satisfied, Elsa left the closet, and started towards her own room.

There was nothing left to do today; the events of the day had finished, and now the moon hung high in the night sky, glimmering.

Then Elsa remembered that she hadn't seen Anna since breakfast. She thought she heard her sister rambling on about buying new shoes for Kristoff. But that was this morning. Where had she been since? Then she remembered she'd seen Kristoff earlier, so Anna couldn't have been far. She clearly recalled when he'd stopped in just in time to intrude on the kiss she and Hans had shared.

The kiss. That had been exhilarating. The feel of a man's lips against hers was something new and foreign to her. She hadn't kissed anyone like that before, but she had known immediately that Hans was good at it.

_Oh, Hans._

That boy was dreamy, dashing, charming, and handsome. He had found a way to annoy the sanity out of her, while still managed to hold her deepest adoration. Okay, so she had to admit it. She was fond of him. Pretty fond.

Then once again, her warm feelings and dreamy thoughts were halted by stone cold reality. She really would never be able to marry him. How would her kingdom accept him? How would Anna accept him? Then again, even if her subjects were behind her, Anna would never be. She knew that Anna hated secrets, hated things being hidden from her. And for good reason. Elsa had never intended to hide anything from Anna anymore. Until Hans came along, that is.

Okay, so Elsa couldn't deny it, couldn't hold it in anymore. She was in _love_ with him.

"I finally found my own guy, a guy who likes me. Anna wouldn't want to get in the way of that if she understood," she said softly to herself out loud. She tried to persuade herself that she was doing the right thing. "Anna has Kristoff. He loves her, and they're in love. Good for her. I'm happy for her. But what about me? Will I be doomed to walk this earth without my own love? That's what's going to happen if I let Hans go. And that's not fair."

She balled her fists in anger, a trail of frost following her as she stomped down the hall. She had always concealed the smallest amount of jealousy of Anna. She envied her sister, who she believed was lucky to be able to love a guy without a layer of frost getting in the way. While she was happy for Anna, she always had the slightest pang of envy in her gut, that Anna had a nice guy who loved her.

"No. For once, I'm going to do something for myself. When Anna was in love, she didn't resist it. So neither am I. I'll just keep it a secret from her for now, and we'll go from there." Elsa nodded furiously, as if arguing with herself.

Finally, she reached her room and entered it. As she lay in bed, waiting for sleep to swallow her, she had one last lingering thought, dubious about the whole thing.

_Maybe I shouldn't._

But she ignored her last thought of sanity, and sleep consumed her.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The sun was just beginning its day when Elsa began hers, her eyes fluttering awake. The grey sky of dawn and the rising morning sun outside urged Elsa, "Wake up! Wake up! You have a long day ahead of you!"

The sun wasn't the only one speaking to her.

"Wake up, sleepy-head," a voice said from next to her.

Elsa almost screamed her shock as she whirled to face the one who had spoken. Her eyes came to focus and saw familiar auburn hair and sideburns, as well as a pair of gleaming emerald eyes looking into hers. A smug grin was spread across his face. It was Hans, dressed in silk bed clothes and sitting on the edge of her bed. His feet were on the floor and one hand was resting in his lap, the other one behind him on the bed, closer to where Elsa was laying.

"Hans!" Elsa finally managed to squeak. "Why are you in here? I told you to stay in the attic, someone could have seen you-" While Elsa panicked, Hans was as cool as ice, sitting there on her bed as if he was there every Sunday morning. He calmly cut her off. "It stank up there, and I was scared. Thought I heard a mouse." He smirked that no-good smirk of his. "So, I came in here, and spent the night on your floor. Not as bad as it looks. The carpet can be quite comfy."

"You're not serious."

"Actually, I'm afraid I'm dead serious, Your Majesty."

Elsa buried her face in her hands. "Hans! Someone could have seen you! Don't you know what they'll do to you, or what they'll think of me if they ever find out that the formerly Prince Hans, who was imprisoned, is just hanging out in the Queen's room..." She babbled on, and Hans let her this time. She looked kinda cute when she was stressed.

Then Queen Elsa suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, mid-sentence. "Wait a second... How did you even know where my room was? You've never been in this chamber of the castle before!"

He grinned. "It was easy. I just followed the ice trail," he responded matter-of-factly, gesturing to the door. Her door was closed, but Elsa could picture the layer of frost, leading to her room like a frozen track. She groaned. She set it up for him, didn't she?

"Anyways, Elsa, you should get ready. I'm sure you have a lot of _queenly duties _today. Don't you have to finish that trading treaty?" He teased playfully.

Elsa moaned again and buried her face in her pillow. "Don't remind me."

"C'mon, my Queen, you can't hide forever," he chided, reaching over the bed and resting his hand on her shoulder. She took her face out of her pillow and flipped over to face him. "Why are you so eager? You're just gonna stay locked up in that attic all day." He laughed. "Maybe so. But at least tonight I could come back in here." She sat up. "Okay, I'm going to get ready. Get out."

"A very polite Queen. I like it, Your Majesty, just kicking your guests out like that, being so up front and straight forward like that," chortled Hans.

"Oh, really? Maybe I wasn't straight forward enough, because you're still in here, babbling away," she chuckled.

"Of course, Your Majesty. Except, where is it that you'd like me to go?"

Elsa thought for a moment. "The servants are normally up around this time. They will definitely see you. So get into my closet instead."

"Uh, okay, " he muttered awkwardly. It _was_ an awkward request. So he obeyed and shut the door behind him. When the Queen told him she was ready a few minutes later, he came out of the closet.

She was wearing her signature ice dress and single braid. "Okay, Hans. I'm going to go get some breakfast for you. Just stay in here, and don't go roaming around anywhere."

"Yes, Your Majesty," said Hans jokingly, bowing to her.

So she brought him breakfast from the royal table, but she left him as quick as she had come. "I have to work on that treaty, remember?" She smirked. "Queenly duties."

So she left him and endured an exceedingly boring, incredibly long day. All day while she tended to her "Queenly duties", Hans kept plaguing her mind. It was constantly difficult to focus. She couldn't get him out of her head. _Being in love sure is hard,_ she thought.

She couldn't help but notice that Gerda's watchful gaze always seemed to fall on her today. Gerda was watching her closely. _She's probably mad that I left that trail of frost, _Elsa thought.

After dinner, she hurriedly made her way to her bed chambers, anticipating Hans. She brought scraps from the royal meal for him. "Thanks, Elsa, I'm starving." His eyes brightened at the sight of her.

They spent the rest of the night together, talking and laughing. Night fall was upon them quickly, and then it was time to settle down. Hans took his place on the floor, and Elsa lay in her bed. She succumbed to sleep.

Next thing she knew, she was being forced awake. Someone's hand tapped her lightly in the shoulder. "Elsa," a whisper came. She jolted back to consciousness. Hans was standing at the side of the bed, peering over her. "I'm cold," he whispered. Elsa kicked off the covers. "Here. Quick. Get in," she said automatically. When Hans climbed in beside her, she pulled the covers back up. He laid on his side, facing her. The moonlight shined in through the window, and Elsa could see he was smiling, and his emerald eyes were locked on hers. He reached out and stroked her cheek wordlessly. Elsa just lay there, letting him. He did this for a few moments, and then he stole one last look at her beautiful eyes, and said softly, "Goodnight, my beautiful Queen." He turned on his side so he was facing away from her, and fell asleep.

Elsa fell asleep, but then woke up a little while later. The moon still hung high in the sky. She looked across the bed at Hans's back. Then she gently shook him awake, and whispered, "Hans, I'm cold." Hans turned on his side to face her. Getting the hint, he pulled her closer to him. She snuggled up to him, savoring the warmth of his body. She buried her head into the side of his chest. "I can keep you warm," he whispered. They lay listening to the other's breathing. Elsa listened to Hans's heart beat. _See,_ she thought to herself. _He's not a monster; he has a heart._ She felt the rise and fall of his chest. They lay like that for a while in silence of words. Then, Hans finally whispered, "Elsa." She shifted so she could see his eyes. His eyes once again locked on hers. "I love you," he whispered. Elsa's heart fluttered. She knew it now. There was no turning back. "I love you, too, Hans," was her whispered reply. She had just jumped down the cliff of love, and she was falling, falling, with Hans beside her.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Many days like that one came and went: Hans at her side when she woke up; Elsa leaving him for her duties as Queen (with Hans forever the object of her dreamy thoughts during the day); and then returning at nightfall to Hans's smiling face and gleaming eyes.

It became exceedingly obvious, however, that they couldn't go on like that forever. Whenever the thought occurred to Elsa (which was often), it would often be followed by the thought that she was going to have to reveal to Anna the relationship she and Hans shared. She always tried to ignore that thought, forever putting it off for another day, another time. There was one brightening prospect in their relationship, however. Hans had learned how to avert the guards and servants and stealthily glide his way about the castle. While this could be very pleasant when Elsa was longing for him in her studies in the library, it also worried her about the quality of her guardsmen. She was troubled that they were oblivious to it all. Maybe she should speak to Johan, the Captain of the Guard, about the security of his men. But it was a comical, impossible thought which she dismissed without hesitation.

Anyways, with Hans able to move about undetected, he had found a way to escape the castle's walls. So he and Elsa began to take walks in the woods or the mountains together, so that they could spend more time in each other's company. Sometimes the urge for a stroll came upon Elsa when the moon hung aloft, peering over them like a sentinel in the sky. Other times, they went for walks under the smiling sun. Hans would sneak out, while Elsa would tell one of the servants that she was going out to take a stroll, or that she needed fresh air. Then she would meet Hans at an agreed upon location outside of town. How he managed to get there, she hadn't the slightest clue, but she was just content that he would always arrive safely.

After one of these daytime walks, Elsa returned to the castle with a renewed energy that only Hans could give her. As she made her way to the library to resume her work on yet another trading treaty, she was halted by one of the servants in the hallway. It was Gerda.

"Your Majesty, could I ask for a moment of your time?" The older servant implored.

"Of course, Gerda, go on."

"Well... I don't mean to intrude on you, Your Highness... But I couldn't help but overhear you when I was mopping the floor of the bedchamber hall a few days ago," she started timidly. "When you were stomping down the hall, you looked rather upset, so I followed you-"

"-Wait, you _followed_ me? How could you be so snoopy?" Elsa exploded, frost shooting out of her hands. Anxiety and fear weighed her down like bricks. She knew what Gerda was catching onto, and she was afraid.

Gerda stepped back, fearing her Queen's mighty outburst. "I am ever so sorry, Your Majesty, but you were looking quite troubled, and I wanted to console you," sputtered the servant fretfully. "B-but then I h-heard a male voice behind your door when you entered your bed-chambers." Gerda's voice was so soft that she was barely audible. She feared that the Queen would snap on her again, or worse, use her ice powers on her...

Elsa, afraid of what Gerda had found out, began taking deep breaths to steady herself. She was unaware that her servant had been frightened out of her wits of her Queen's powers.

Barely able to recollect herself, Gerda managed to spit out, "F-forgive your servant for her nosiness, Your M-M-Majesty. But I have heard that male voice in your bedchambers for all of the d-days since. Y- your humble s- servant was just wondering if Your Majesty w-would clarify who the m-man was."

It soon dawned upon Elsa that Gerda was absolutely terrified of her. She struggled to regain control of the frost in her fingers that so desperately wanted to be released. She attempted to calm herself, but how could she be calm in a moment like this? Elsa sucked in a deep breath and clenched her gloved hands into fists. "Gerda, calm down. I'm not going to touch you." Her servant finally mustered enough courage to look at her Queen. Elsa sighed, and ran her fingers through her hair. She averted her gaze, no longer looking into Gerda's eyes. "I suppose there's no use in hiding it now. The voice you heard belongs to Hans of the Southern Isles."

The silence that followed made it seem as though the world had frozen in place at Elsa's confiding. The sun that shone in through the window seemed to raise an eyebrow quizzically. The lack of noise was almost hostile, but it was to be suspected after such a confession, Elsa supposed. Nobody expected her to be hanging around such a sorry excuse for a man (or at least the public of Arendelle thought so. That was not at all what he was in Elsa's mind, though).

Ages went by before the cold stillness was broken by Gerda's gasp. She was clearly shocked and shaken. Elsa didn't blame her.

"Your Majesty! How could you...?" Gerda's voice trailed off. She had thought the Queen was hiding her relationship with the mystery man due to shyness, not because he was a criminal and a shame to Arendelle. She didn't expect Her Majesty to be sneaking around with the man who had nearly been responsible for the deaths of both the Queen and the Princess.

Elsa sighed again. Gerda was unaware of Hans's mystical transformation. He was a changed man. How could she ever explain? She supposed she'd have to start at the beginning.

"Hans had originally returned here to apologize for his... Mistakes," she said hesitantly. "I soon realized that he had changed a great deal since our last meeting. His intentions are no longer corrupt. He is a good, honest man now. He has confided in me that he was a troubled youth, and that he had the wrong motives. But now he is different. He takes full responsibility for his actions. It was difficult to forgive him... But... I did." Elsa looked up to see how Gerda was soaking in the information. She couldn't read her servant's expression, but she continued, clearing her throat nervously. "We were attracted to one another. I know that it wasn't regal of me to go about our love in the way that I did. I felt that our relationship was not ready to be heard of by the public's ears. But I was going to announce it openly at some point. I just couldn't bring myself to tell Anna."

When Elsa looked up, Gerda was nodding at her with an understanding, sympathetic expression. "Your Majesty, I understand," Gerda consoled her. "I know that the Princess can be a bit... Difficult to reason with... At times." Gerda offered a slight, but soothing, smile. "I will not speak a word of this if Your Majesty does not will of it. Not until the announcement is made."

Elsa finally smiled. "Thank you, Gerda. You are dismissed."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Gerda curtsied and went on her way.

So life goes on.

But lips can slip. Secrets can spill. And rumors can spread. Especially royal rumors.

**Author's note: Woo! That chapter was difficult to write! Sorry that the plot has been coming along slowly. And sorry about the wait. I'll try to post more. But thanks for the follows and faves guys! Thank you especially Elsanna4Life, troopper17, MotherGothelFan, and Cheetah16 for the faves! Special thanks to all who followed, too! Tell me if you guys have any requests for my writing. I know that my writing is flawed. I have tons of room for improvement. So give me some criticism and tips. I know what I want to write, but it sounds worse when I convert it to paper. Anyways, I'd love to see some reviews. But I'm not begging. I'm content with the attention this story has been getting. Please tell me if you see any spelling or grammar errors. They annoy me, so if you could spot one that'd be a great help. Anyways, thanks guys! I love you guys! More to come, I promise! :)**

**-Sydni :)**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Kristoff groaned as he stretched, his eyes still remaining closed.

He ran his hand through his messy blonde hair subconsciously. Then he stopped as his hand felt something unusual in his hair. He plucked it off his head and opened his eyes to examine it in his hands. He realized that the odd object entangled in his mass of hair was a straw of hay. _What the...?_

He then became aware that he was laying on a pile of hay on the dirty floor of a stable. _Ummm...? _He raises his eyebrow, dazed and confused. Kristoff then noticed the petite figure sleeping soundly beside him, snuggled against his side. It was Anna.

He smiled. Memories of the previous night flooded his mind. They had gone for a sled ride together and had observed a beautiful sunset. Then they had hugged. After riding back to Arendelle, Kristoff unhooked Sven from the sled and led him into the castle stable. Anna followed him. Then Kristoff brought up that they had started their quest to find Elsa in a stable. Anna had asked him what it was like to sleep in a stable, and he had replied with a devious grin, "Why don't you find out?" They ended up kissing and he had ended up shirtless, and she fell asleep clinging to him, but it was nothing more than that. And now here they were.

He smiled as he looked at Anna, her head resting on his chest and her arm laying across his body, clinging to his shoulder. He felt the gentle rise and fall of her chest and the rhythmic beat of her heart. He savored every moment, taking her in.

Anna's eyes finally fluttered awake. She lifted her head slightly and slowly. Kristoff remained laying down, his sleepy eyes trained on her. She smiled at him groggily. He returned her a smile so affectionate that she actually blushed. "Good morning, my Princess," he murmured softly, all smiles. She stared into his eyes a moment longer. _He _does_ actually look attractive in the morning,_ she thought, taking in his messy hair, muscular body, soft, tired eyes and loving smile. She lay her head back down onto his bare chest and yawned. He gently stroked her back with his gruff hand; his bulky, muscle-bound arm encased around her delicate figure. "I would stay here with you for all eternity," she whispered into his chest. He just smiled warmly.

They would have stayed there together for a good while longer if it weren't for the sound of a muffled cough. Dazed, Kristoff looked around, only to find a stable hand not three feet away from them, staring.

The stable hand, a strong young man himself, blushed, and then cleared his throat. "Excuse me, sir, I didn't mean to..." He chuckled nervously.

Kristoff immediately rose to his feet and helped Anna up. He couldn't conceal his embarrassment himself. "No, no, it's fine. Anna, we better let this man do his work," Kristoff said, blushing with a nervous laugh of his own, taking Anna's hand.

The other man's face dropped when he realized that he was looking at the Princess and her boyfriend. "M-my apologies, My Lady," he said, blushing still, offering a bow.

Anna giggled. She smiled at the servant, making his cheeks blush even more. "No, it was our fault. Thank you, sir," she said grinning, dropping him a curtsy.

They left the stable with Anna in giggles and headed inside the castle to have breakfast. As they passed some servants in their way to the table, they were given some quizzical looks. Anna wouldn't stop cackling with laughter, erupting into playful giggles every few seconds.

"What's so funny?" Kristoff asked sleepily with a grin on his face as they sat down to eat. Anna just giggled and gestured to him. He examined himself- and remembered that he was shirtless! He chuckled nervously, his cheeks flushing pink. Here he was, sitting at the royal breakfast table, bare-chested! He caught his reflection on a shining dish. His hair was messy with bed head, hay entangled in his hair. He was obviously shirtless, and more hay clung to his chest. His pants were wrinkled and dirty from the stable floor. Now he knew why people were giving him funny looks- he looked like a maniac!

He looked at Anna and gave her an innocent shrug, smiling and blushing. He pawed at his head, attempting to remove the hay from his wild hair.

She smiled at him, and then they filled their plates with the foods of their desire. After the meal, Anna grabbed his hand. "Why don't we find some clothes for you, big guy? We can't have you running around the castle like that. I know just the place!" She said, grinning, leading him excitedly down the hall. She bumped straight into her sister, and fell down with a giggle.

"Sorry, Elsa," she said with a playful grin as she got up and dusted herself off. Elsa looked at Kristoff and raised an eyebrow incredulously, a half-smile appearing on her face.

Anna followed her sister's gaze and giggled. "Oh, long story," she said, grabbing Kristoff's hand again eagerly. "I don't want to know. But as your big sister, I probably _should_ know," said Elsa, smiling. Kristoff blushed and shrugged. He had done a lot of blushing and shrugging today.

Anna giggled. She had done a lot of giggling today, too. Actually, she always does a lot of that. Anyways, she pulled on Kristoff's hand and ran down the hall. "Don't worry about it," she yelled happily behind her to Elsa.

Elsa smiled as her sister giddily pulled Kristoff behind her, running and then disappearing around the corner. The smile faded, and she felt guilty about keeping such a huge secret from such a kind, loving soul. She could only pray that Anna would forgive her.

**(This scene occurred a few days before Gerda 'found out', the morning after Kristoff and Anna's sled ride)**

**Author's note: Thank you abbytemple for the fave! Thank you helssa for the author follow! And thank you to all the others who viewed this story! Special thanks to those who followed this story! Anyways, I wanted to write this chapter because we have been starved of our cute, innocent Kristanna romance. So this chapter doesn't really add anything to the plot, it's just to give a look at Kristoff and Anna, 'cause I haven't written about them for a while. More to come! I promise!**

**-Sydni :)**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

**(Back into present time in the story)**

Elsa approached her bedroom door with Hans's dinner in her arms. The sun was setting, and Elsa had the rest of the night to spend with him.

She opened her door and slid in, careful to close it behind her.

"Here's your food, Hans," she said, handing him the dish.

His eyes twinkled. "Thanks, Elsa."

He began to dig in, savoring the product of the royal chef's efforts. After he'd finished, he noticed Elsa was unusually quiet. He looked up at her, and saw that she was standing at her window, gazing out blankly. He rose to his feet.

He knew something was up immediately. His girl was never like this.

"What's wrong, Elsa?" He asked, approaching the Queen from behind.

Elsa did not turn around, and her emotionless stare did not avert from the window. "Gerda knows," she said expressionlessly.

Hans, startled by her words, didn't know what she was speaking of at first. But a few moments later, the truth hit him. "She... Knows?" He repeated, worry and shock found in his voice.

Elsa nodded absently. She could not look at him right now. But at the same time, she yearned for his gaze and longed for him to take her hands into his.

Hans was fazed, silent for a few moments. Finally, his courage returned. He said confidently with a nod, "We can tell them whenever you're ready."

Elsa finally turned to him. "It's not about me being ready. It's about my sister being ready. But how is she more ready tomorrow than she is today? It's no use. I'll never be able to tell her." She broke down, sobbing uncontrollably into Hans's firm shoulder. Hans stroked her back, waiting patiently for her tears to subside. Then he said to her, "Remember what I said to you before, Elsa. We are going to make this work," he soothed her.

When her tears ceased to fall, Hans took her hand in his and gently lead her to the bed. "You could use some sleep. Why don't we settle in?" Elsa nodded and lay down on her bed. Hans crawled in beside her. Elsa turned to him and said simply, "I'm going to tell her in three days."

Hans looked at her and replied, "I'll be with you all the way. Like I said, we are definitely going to make this work."

And they fell asleep side by side.

Little did Elsa know, royal gossip about their relationship was spreading like a wildfire within the castle walls.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

There was not a moment of tranquility in the servants' quarters this morning. It would have been a morning like any other if it weren't for the shocking piece of information Gerda had slipped out the previous day. The servants scurried about, exchanging hushed whispers and quizzical eyebrows.

One servant said to another, "I heard that the Queen has been taking walks with this man into the woods. Who knows what they could be doing there in secret?"

"Everyone knows that, Nancy," scowled the second. "But if you ask me, when they are supposedly 'taking walks', they are truly plotting in secret to destroy us!"

The first one, Nancy, shook her head, returning the frown. "That's rubbish. Our Queen would never do that. But, what I'd like to know is this: who is this mystery man she's been sneaking around with?"

The second servant rolled her eyes. "Have you been living under a rock? He's no 'mystery man'- he's Hans of the Southern Isles, the one who nearly killed the Queen with his own hands!"

"I heard he's been convicted!" Chimed in a third.

"The Queen better watch out for that one!" Added a fourth.

"Don't you forget, he used to love the Princess, too!" Said another.

"Typical man..."

"How did he get back here? His sentence should have been much longer than three months!"

"Word is some rich bloke took pity on him and bribed for his release! He gave the judge one thousand bars of pure gold!"

"I wonder, does the Princess know of Hans's presence?"

"She certainly must!"

"No, no, no! Gerda told me the Princess was unaware of the whole thing!"

A dramatic "Oooo" rose from the posse of servants.

Finally, one of them said, "She must know. How can we know of this while she doesn't?"

The one that Gerda had spoken to replied, "No, Gerda told me that the Princess was oblivious to it all. She told me the Queen was hiding it from her. And the Princess, quite frankly, doesn't notice what's going on because she's so caught up in that boy of her own, Kristoff."

The other ladies nodded in agreement. One said, "Yes, she's been blinded by that boy. He is all that she sees. Unfortunately, she doesn't notice that her sister has been betraying her."

The other servants let out another "oooo" in response. Then, at the crow of the rooster, it was time to break up their social hour and resume work.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Anna skipped joyously about the castle hall with a spring in her step. But then again, it was difficult to name a time when there _wasn't_ a spring in her step. She brought life to the castle, which would be silent and bland without her.

She was in an excited mood, for Kristoff was out buying carrots for Sven and other materials for his sled, but he'd be back soon. So Anna was bouncing with giddiness at the thought of him. She merrily pranced down the halls, humming and skipping and twirling, when- "Oof!" She was sent tumbling to the floor. She opened her eyes and saw a servant on the ground before her, trying to recollect the once neatly-folded laundry she was holding when Anna collided with her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Here, here, let me help you with that," Anna said, helping the servant pick up the clothes.

"Thank you, My Lady," said the servant when all the clothes were recovered. So then Anna began to go about on her way, when she heard the servant say quietly from behind her, "But I don't know how you could be so happy with your sister betraying you like that."

Anna wasn't sure that she heard the woman correctly. "Pardon, what was that?" She asked, turning around to face the maid.

"I don't know how you could be so jubilant with what the Queen has been doing to you," the servant repeated.

_What?_ Anna thought. Apparently she must have said it out loud, because the servant began to drone on.

"She has been sneaking out with that one man, Hans, going on strolls with him and all the like. They-" suddenly the servant stopped. She looked at Anna. She covered her mouth, realizing she'd blurted it out to the Princess. "I'm sorry, My Lady, I really am. Please excuse me, it just slipped..."

Anna stared at the servant in horror. "No, no, that's not true," she murmured. Then Anna came to her senses. Elsa would never hide her relations with a man from her! _Plus_, she thought, _Elsa hates Hans too! This is all just a misunderstanding, a silly rumor!_

Anna regained control of her visibly bewildered body. She cleared her throat confidently. "I think there's been a misunderstanding somewhere. Elsa is just taking walks for fresh air, not for a man," she heard herself chuckle.

The servant gave her a sorry look and said, "Yes, that must be it. My apologies, My Princess," she said nervously, starting to walk away from Anna.

But a dubious feeling lingered in Anna's chest.

_Could it be?_

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Anna sat at the breakfast table, staring down at the untouched food that was on her plate. Her shallow gaze did not avert from her ham and bread. There was silverware at her disposal, but she did not intend to use it.

"Anna? Are you alright?"

Anna heard a familiar voice, and looked up to see its owner.

It was Elsa. She remembered she hadn't spoken to Elsa in a seemingly long while. She sat there fazed for a few moments.

Finally, she snapped out of her odd trance and jolted upright, remembering she had been asked a question. "Yeah, no- I mean, I'm fine. I'm just... Not hungry today," Anna heard a jumbled response that apparently came from her own mouth.

When she looked up, she saw Elsa giving her a weak smile. "I know the feeling," her sister said. "Anna, I'm going to go for a walk. I need to clear my head, that's all. I'll be back soon, though."

Anna nodded absently. Elsa rose to leave. Once Elsa was out of the room, Anna thought,_ She's been taking a lot of walks recently. Being a Queen must be stressful._

Then, Anna remembered what the servant had said to her yesterday. But she dismissed the thought almost immediately. _There's always rumors flying around, I suppose._

But the dubious feeling never left Anna. She had the urge to find out for herself. Curiosity got the better of her. She decided to follow Elsa, just to see what's up.

She hurried out of the room and found a servant. "Excuse me, but did Els- I mean, the Queen, pass by here?" She inquired.

The servant replied, "Yes, My Lady. Her Majesty went out for a walk outside the gates."

Anna thanked the servant and hurried to catch up to her sister.

Anna caught sight of Elsa on the castle bridge. She kept a good way behind her sister, but still kept her in her sight. Anna stayed on Elsa's trail as she entered the wilderness. She followed her deeper and deeper into the woods for what seemed like forever, walking until her legs felt like rubber. Suddenly, Elsa stopped walking and stood next to a tree stump in a clearing, her back to Anna. Anna silently took cover behind a bush that was about fifty yards away from Elsa. Anna was hidden from Elsa as she crouched behind it, but she could still see her sister through the leaves.

She sat there for a while, waiting for something to happen.

_She's probably just taking a rest. She probably really was only taking a walk. I knew it_, Anna thought.

She was regretting following her sister out here in the first place when she heard a voice in the distance. She strained her ears to hear.

The words were unintelligible to her, for she was at a distance, but she saw another figure coming towards her sister. As it approached, she noticed that it was a man.

Thoughts were absent from her mind as she observed the scene, watching and listening.

She looked on as they exchanged words and started to head closer towards her hiding place. She remained concealed as they came close enough that she could identify their words.

Anna had been watching, but she was unable to analyze what she had been seeing until just then. She experienced a moment of clarity when she recognized the familiar auburn hair and sideburns. The realization struck her like cold water on a sleepy face.

_Wait... That's not just a man. That's Hans!_ She thought.

Suddenly she felt unstable. She needed to hold on to something. Her stomach lurched. All she could register in her ears was a terrible ringing sensation droning out all other sounds. She felt dizzy and queasy as nausea surged through her like an arrow pierces the air. The world was spinning violently, and her universe had been thrown into madness.

When her symptoms had faded slightly but were still present, a stream of thoughts flooded her mind all at once.

_Hans... Hans..._

_The man who had nearly killed me..._

_The one who used me as a pawn in his game of chess of becoming king..._

_The one who had nearly murdered my sister with his sword..._

_Is not twenty yards from me..._

_And is speaking with my sister..._

_As though nothing happened..._

Her thoughts were interrupted as another wave of nausea coursed through her, causing her to collapse onto her hands and knees. She sucked in deep breaths as she attempted to recollect herself.

Anna returned to her crouching position as the nausea subsided.

Emotions ripped through her body as though she'd been struck by lightning. Hatred. Anger. Fury.

Pure rage coursed through her veins at the thought of this man's presence. She wanted to howl. She wanted to scream. Her face was beet red, boiling with anger. Seething, all of the images of three months ago replayed in her head. She shook her head furiously, gritting her teeth and biting her tongue to prevent an explosion.

Slowly, her fiery rage began to subside as another realization crept into her mind.

_Elsa... Is with him... Why isn't she calling the guards? Why isn't she running away?_

She blinked. At once she became aware of her surroundings again, and forced herself to observe the scene occurring before her.

She heard a voice. It belonged to her sister.

"The Council is probably waiting for me now. I just don't want to leave you. But one more thing, Hans."

"Yes, Elsa?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

At that moment Anna witnessed the unimaginable through her very own eyes: Elsa and Hans sharing a kiss.

All of the rage she had experienced at the sight of Hans returned, but this time it was in the form of sadness, confusion, and devastation.

She finally lost her grip on sanity.

Has hell frozen over? Do pigs fly? Does the sun revolve around the earth, and the earth around the moon? The world is upside down!

The bitterness of her entire childhood returned like a dagger in her heart. All of the hurt, all of the pain, all of the grief times a hundred. She couldn't take it anymore. Her head could only process one abhorrent thing:

_Elsa and Hans, who betrayed me and broke my heart, love each other. And she didn't tell me._

She had been betrayed.

Again.

Anna stood up, trembling with agony. She confronted her sister, walking straight out of the bushes to her. She revealed herself.

"How could you, Elsa?" She says quietly with tears welling up, her voice shaking.

Elsa pulls away from Hans, noticing her sister's presence for the first time. A look of horror is on her face. "A-Anna... how did you get here?" She says shakily. "It's not what you think. Let me explain."

Hans backs up behind Elsa, and he can only watch helplessly as it goes down.

"'Not what I think'?!" Anna exploded. "What is it exactly that you believe I think? I'm not an idiot!"

"Anna, please, just let me explain-"

"- There's no excuse for this, Elsa."

Anna's lip quivered. She could feel the hot tears streaming down her face. Elsa's face was twisted into an expression of pain.

"I'm sorry, Anna. I really am. I was just trying to protect you," Elsa said quietly.

Anna looked down at the ground. "That's always what it is, isn't it? Trying to protect me. Funny, how whenever you try to protect me, I always end up hurt." Anna looked up at her sister's eyes, although bitter tears were impairing her vision. "I was finally trusting you again. We were going to be sisters again. Best friends. We were going to be like how we were as kids. I TRUSTED you. I TRUSTED you!" She paused. "And look what I got for it."

The whole thing made Elsa's heart break into a million pieces. This was a pain unbearable to _her_, so she couldn't imagine how much worse her poor sister felt. And it was all Elsa's own fault. But Anna's next words stung more than the rest to Elsa. They came out slowly, like a poison, the hurt in her voice adding to the affect.

"You betrayed me."

Anna broke down, sobbing uncontrollably as she fell to the ground. She covered her face with her hands.

Snowflakes began to fall, swirling around Elsa. All Elsa could do was helplessly watch her sister's pain. Her ice powers would prevent her from getting near to her sister. She wouldn't touch her, not after what happened last time. A tear danced down her own cheek.

Still sobbing, Anna rose to her feet. She suddenly broke off in a sprint, running. She just ran. She didn't know where she was going. She just knew that she had to run. Her legs had to move. She had to get away from here. Away from Elsa. Away from Hans. Away from this upside-down world.

She heard a voice behind her. She didn't care. Her legs continued moving. She then heard footsteps running after her. Elsa was chasing her, and she heard her sister shout, "Anna, wait! Where are you going? WAIT!"

Anna ran through her tears of agony. She would not turn back. "Anna, please. Stop, please, Anna," her sister pleaded. Anna still ran.

Elsa had no choice. She had to use her powers. She formed a wall of ice in front of Anna. _That would make her stop,_ she thought.

Anna ran straight through the ice wall that blocked her way with all her might, putting her arms in front of her head for protection. She broke through the ice with a crash. She immediately felt a sharp pain in her arms. It became progressively stronger, its pain increasing by the second. She let out a whimper, but continued running through her pain, tears still flowing like water from a water fall.

Elsa froze in place, stunned. Her sister was still running. Anna got so far from her that she knew it was hopeless to catch her. She sighed, and another tear trickled down her cheek. She turned around, and Hans was right there behind her, watching her with a pained expression.

"This is all my fault," he said.

"No, Hans. Don't even say that. It's not your fault. It's mine. I'm a _monster_."

"You're not a monster, Elsa."

"My sister is running through the woods. The sun is setting. She's bleeding. She's in great pain emotionally and physically. She has a broken heart. She's alone. And she _hates_ being alone. And it's all my fault."

It was Elsa's turn to cry. But Hans was there all the way. He put his arm around Elsa. But this time, Hans's reassuring touch is not enough to console her.

He says, "Don't worry. We'll find her. We'll go and get help."

Elsa looked at him, and halted her tears. She begins to think. She realizes that she can't ask a guard for help in this situation. The circumstances won't allow it. She needs someone close to Anna to help find her. She knows who can help them. The words come out of her mouth as soon as the thought occurs to her.

"We need to go find Kristoff."

**Author's note: this chapter takes place after chapter 13. Chapter 14 was included only to provide some extra Kristanna romance. Chapter 14 does not add to the plot. thank you sunrape10 and loreley9 for the follows and faves. Thanks to musicreadergirl too. Thank you so much mudkipster (Guest) for the advice. It helps and is much appreciated. Thank you troopper17 for the review :) Thank you to the anonymous Guest who reviewed too! All reviews are appreciated so much! Thank you to all followers and favorites! Thank you to all reviews! Just for your information, I will be more active on FanFiction on the weekends. Sooooo sorry that this chapter came out so late! I've been working on it though! Anyways, I still have some ways to go with this story. All reviews, faves, follows, and views are all so very appreciated! I live for that! Thank you for your enormous support and interest in this story! I will try not to disappoint you! I'm working hard! More to come, as promised! If you have any ideas, suggestions, tips, questions, comments, or ANYTHING, I'm ready to hear it via review or PM! Thanks!**

**-Sydni :)**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Hans scowled as soon as he heard that name. So he DID loathe this man a bit. He resented Kristoff.

But if Elsa wanted him to help her find this mountain boy, that's what he would do.

"Alright, let's go back to Arendelle and look for him. We'd better hurry. The sun is setting," Hans grumbled.

With that, they hurried out of the woods the direction they'd came from.

Elsa sprinted, running for all she was worth. The faster she got to Kristoff, the faster she got to Anna, and then from there she could solve this. She hoped.

Elsa hated herself, but she knew that she couldn't sit around and pout at a time like this. She needed to find her little sister. She needed to make this right.

They finally emerged from the woods at dusk. They entered Arendelle, and only then did they stop a moment and think.

"Well, we're here. But where is he?" Hans asked, turning to Elsa.

Elsa, panting from the long run through the woods, paused.

"We should start looking for him at the castle. He might be looking for Anna. He probably hasn't seen her all day," she replied.

Hans nodded. And they ran off to the castle, ignoring the agape mouths of the people at the sight of them running together. They would not stop for a moment, for they were so desperate to find Anna's boy.

They reached the castle. Elsa began searching frantically, running around the halls, calling, "Kristoff?"

She found a servant and inquired if she knew of Kristoff's whereabouts. The servant replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, he came running through here about ten minutes ago, looking for the princess."

Elsa nodded and tried to ignore the gawking of the servant, who was clearly surprised that Hans was accompanying her.

She turned to Hans. "We should probably split up. We'll find him faster."

Hans only nodded. He gestured down the hall. "I'll look this way," he said, running off.

Hans ran down the corridor, opening doors and peaking his head in to scour the rooms for Kristoff. He scanned several rooms, searching for the man. He couldn't decide what he should do: should he call out Kristoff's name or should he just keep quiet and nose around? He felt awkward.

Several doors later, he came across a small-sized room with a fire ablaze in the hearth.

_Someone must be in here,_ he thought as he crept into the doorway.

As he looked around, he recognized the room as the one he left Anna to die in.

_Wow, I _really_ hate myself._

He felt a colossal wave of guilt in his stomach.

After silently gazing around the room for a few moments from the doorway, he noticed a figure slumping on the couch. The stranger did not seem to notice Hans's presence.

He entered the room, and got a closer look at the figure. He recognized the messy blonde hair of a familiar man. Yep, this was definitely the one called Kristoff.

At the same moment that Hans realized who he was looking at, Kristoff noticed Hans's presence. Kristoff remained in the same rumpled sitting position on the couch for a few moments, meeting Hans with a weary gaze. Hans stood awkwardly and shifted on his feet, looking at Kristoff without a word.

After a few moments of their stare-down, Kristoff's brow raises quizzically. He rises from the couch slowly, his tired gaze transforming into a suspicious stare.

"I know who you are... You're that Prince Hans guy that Anna was engaged to, aren't you?" Kristoff spoke finally as it hit him.

Hans puffed up at the way Kristoff had spat his name out like a foul smell. "Yeah... I am. But you can call me Hans now," he muttered.

"Why are _you_ here? Elsa wouldn't let you here in Arendelle after what you did to Anna and her," Kristoff said, narrowing his eyes. "Wait... Something's up," he murmured. He closed the distance between him and Hans with two strides. He roughly grabbed Hans's shoulders, slammed him against the wall, and held him there, pinning him with one swift and strong movement. Kristoff pressed his hands against Hans's shoulders, trapping him there. He looked into Hans's eyes menacingly and spat darkly, "Where is Anna? What have you done with her?"

Hans struggled to free himself. _What does this guy lift? Ten-ton boulders?_ He thought, annoyed, as he squirmed in Kristoff's firm grasp.

"I _asked_ you a _question_. Now _answer_ it. Where the hell is she?" Kristoff growled lowly through gritted teeth.

"I didn't touch her! If you let me go, maybe I could EXPLAIN!" Hans snapped back, aggravated, attempting to ply Kristoff's arms off of him.

Kristoff let him go and took a step back. He glared at Hans hatefully.

"There, that's more like it," Hans muttered as he dusted his shirt with his hands.

He was back to his bothersome ways as he stalked about the room, slowly waking around with his hands behind his back. Kristoff glared at him all the while, and Hans could feel the other man's eyes on him. It secretly pleased him. Teasing was so much fun.

"If you must know, Elsa is convinced that we need your help," Hans stated casually. He was cool and collected as usual.

"I would never help a villain like you," Kristoff snarled.

Hans chuckled, intimidating Kristoff. "Then it seems we understand each other. Because I can't stand a mountain oaf like you," Hans laughed calmly as he paced around the room.

Kristoff was never one to ignore rude comments. He released his rage and swung a wild haymaker at Hans with a furious shout.

Hans nimbly dodged the punch, foreseeing the attack. He chuckled.

"Wow, you are _too_ easy. But you shouldn't hit me, Kristoff. I know something that you might want to know."

Kristoff hissed, "Just tell me already!"

Hans was enjoying toying with him. The boy had quite the temper. A devious grin slipped onto his face.

"You see, it all started when Elsa and I were taking a nice walk-"

"-What are you talking about? You're not even making sense! You haven't been here in three months!" Kristoff exploded, fighting the urge to knock this Hans fool out cold.

Hans chuckled again.

"Oh, you didn't know? Elsa and I are together."

The color fled from Kristoff's cheeks.

"You're bluffing," he uttered in a low voice.

Hans shrugged. "Yeah. It's true. Don't believe me."

Kristoff narrowed his eyes. "Elsa would never love your kind," he said.

"Funny, I thought the same thing about Anna and you!" Hans snickered.

Kristoff was about to lunge toward Hans and clobber him silly when he heard a voice at the doorway.

"Kristoff! I've been looking all over for you! Come on, we have to go, right now!"

Kristoff and Hans both stopped and immediately turned toward the voice. It was Elsa.

"Go where? What are you talking about? Why is _he_ here? Where's Anna?" Kristoff asked, confused.

Elsa looked at Hans. "I thought you told him. What have you been doing?"

Hans felt his cheeks go red. "I, uh..."

Kristoff interrupted. "He didn't tell me anything, other than some garbage that you two were in love," Kristoff growled, eyeing Hans.

He looked back at Elsa, who was blushing. "Wait... You're not really...? You're not, you know, _with_ him... Right? _Right_?" Kristoff asked, panicked.

Elsa sighed. "Yes, I am, Kristoff. It's a long story. I don't have time to tell you. But we didn't want anybody to know..."

Kristoff was flustered. "How did he...? Why...? What...?"

Elsa said again, "It's a long story. But I never told Anna, because I was afraid that she would not handle it well. I was afraid she was going to break down, and I was _going_ to tell her, eventually... But... That's sort of what ended up happening today... We were taking a walk and then she followed me and found out and it broke her heart and now she ran off into the forest alone, before we could catch her... We have to find her..." Elsa rambled nervously.

Suddenly, Kristoff jolted awake at the news on Anna. His confusion turned to burning anger and disgust in a moment's time.

"Why wouldn't you tell her? Why is this my first time hearing about this? Didn't you know she would find out somehow?" He nearly screamed.

"What is WRONG with you?! Anna is the sweetest, most pure and innocent person in the world... And congratulations, you broke her heart! Now she is alone in the wilderness? What kind of sister are you?" Kristoff bellowed, his chest heaving from shouting angrily. His face twisted into an expression full of hate.

"Disgusting," he growled, his burning glare alternating between Elsa and Hans, who were both dumb-struck and wide-eyed at his outburst.

He pushed through both of them coldly as he made his way to the door. He paused in the doorway, his back to them. He tilted his head to the side and looked down.

"I am going to find Anna. I am going in my sled. If you want to find her, you'll come with me."

And without another word, he left the room, leaving Hans's mouth ajar and Elsa's head buried in her hands. She had expected him to be surprised, but she never anticipated Kristoff to be as enraged as he was. She was stupid not to expect such a reaction, for Kristoff was a passionate man. But the worst part for Elsa was that she knew that every terrible word he had spoken was entirely true.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The moon scintillated from above with a ghostly glow. It would have been a beautiful sight to see had Anna been there.

_Anna._

The thought of her made Kristoff want to push harder, go faster, dig deeper. He knew Sven was moving as fast as possible, but it was never enough. He rode intrepidly, and he was determined to find Anna, just as he had done in the Whiteout. The only difference now was that Sven was hooked up to the sled and there were two passengers accompanying him. (Though you wouldn't have known it from the tense silence between them.)

Elsa and Hans sat together wordlessly in the back seat, while Kristoff held the reins in the front. Elsa had only gestured to the direction of the woods, and Sven had started pulling the sled that way. Kristoff had ignored their presence, unable to look at those disgusting people.

_How could they think that they could keep such a nasty secret without hurting anybody?_ He thought, revolted by their obliquity.

At last, they arrived at the beginning of the forest trees.

"Just go straight," Elsa murmured.

So Sven dashed into the forest without hesitating. The canopy of trees blocked the moon partially. The quiet rustle of leaves and the silence of words paired to make an eerie sled ride.

They arrived at the clearing much faster than they would have arrived on foot. Elsa told Kristoff to stop the sled, and the sled halted.

They disembarked the sled and stepped onto the forest floor. Elsa took a few moments, trying to decide which way Anna had fled to. She called out Anna's name a few times, although she knew it was useless. As she looked around, she noticed something. There was smoke billowing above the trees. Someone in the forest was tending a fire. The scent was unmistakeable.

The others must have realized this just as she did, because Hans looked at her expectantly and Kristoff was looking in the direction of the smoke. Sven sniffed the air, perking his ears.

"Let's go towards the fire. I got a feeling she's there," muttered Kristoff as he grabbed Sven's reins, climbing back into the sled.

Hans objected. "What makes you think that?" He just wasn't going to let Kristoff call the shots like a tough guy.

"I _said_, I have a _feeling_," Kristoff repeated, annoyed. "You got a better idea, twinkle toes?"

"I have an idea, alright, it's called, 'stop acting like a total-'"

"-GUYS!" Elsa screeched.

Both of the boys flinched, startled by her outburst.

"Stop FIGHTING each other! We're on the same team!" She said. "Right now, we have to find Anna. Did you forget or something?"

Hans sighed and Kristoff grumbled.

"You're right," Kristoff mumbled. "But let's go. We have to move."

Elsa and Hans boarded the sled. No sooner than when they stepped in did Kristoff order Sven to go. They headed towards the smoke in the distance.

Boy, were they in for a surprise.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Anna ran. And ran. And ran.

How long had it been since her confrontation with Elsa? It felt like hours. The moon was almost up.

Every part of her body was in extreme pain: her heart, her arms, her legs, her lungs...

Anna's brain was numb. She didn't want to think about anything that had happened, but her mind kept on replaying the scene like a repeating horror movie.

Despite the overwhelming aching of her legs, and the blood caked all over her arms, she forced herself to continue. She was oblivious to where she was going. She just had to run.

The only thought on her brain was her commanding herself, _Run. Run. Run. Run,_ when suddenly she fell flat on her back. Dazed, she rubbed her head and blinked her eyes, sitting up slowly. She thought that she'd collided with a tree, but then she looked up and saw a lanky man towering over her, peering down.

"It ain't nice tah bump into folk, girlie," the stranger grinned.

He roughly grabbed her and hoisted her to her feet before she could react.

Now standing, she got a closer look at the skinny man. He was wearing a ragged wool vest, most of the buttons missing, with no shirt under it. His trousers were torn and dirty.

Anna dared to glance at his face. The teeth that weren't missing were yellow and disgusting. Unshaven whiskers marked his face, and his bald head was smudged with dirt. The whites of his eyes were yellow, and his rough irises seemed to have lost their color.

He grinned wickedly at her as he grabbed her shoulders with his grubby hands. He roughly pulled her close enough so she could smell his rancid breath.

"'Ello, girlie," he said mischievously as he smirked.

Anna struggled to free herself from his grasp.

_Who is this freak?_ she thought as she kicked her legs and wriggled in his grip.

He was wiry and scrawny, but he was tough.

"Let- me- go!" She squirmed.

"Oi, you's a feisty one, aintcha?" He laughed. "But I'm afraid I can't do no such thing, girlie. The boss would like tah see ya."

With that, he turned her around and pinned her arms behind her back.

She noticed that there were two other gruff, ragged men like the first surrounding her.

"This can't be good."

"Give her 'ere, Wiley," one of them said, speaking about her as though she were a cool toy instead of a person.

She was shoved ungraciously into the arms of a tall, strong, gruff and mean-looking man.

Although she immediately noticed that personal hygiene was a little more important to this guy than the one called Wiley, she didn't get to examine him too long.

Another one of the men spoke up and said flatly, "Give the girl to me, Huck."

Huck, the one whose grasp she was in, then flung her effortlessly over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Anna started flailing, kicking and screeching, more angry than fearful.

"STOP! Put me DOWN! Who do you think you are?" she yelped.

Huck ignored her, proceeding to carry her over to the other man. He dropped her on the ground at the man's feet.

She yelped in pain, for she landed on her bloody arms. She groaned, and lay there unmoving.

"Thanks, Huck," the man said.

"She's as light as a feather, Nels, but she's a feisty one, that," Huck laughed.

The scrawny bald man, Wiley, whined. "Oi, 'ow come Huck don't get in trouble when he don't call ya 'boss'," he moaned.

"Shut up, Wiley!" The young man who was apparently the leader, snapped.

The leader, Nels, who was smaller and younger than Huck but bigger than Wiley, turned his attention to Anna, who was crumpled on the ground before him.

He peered over her. He saw that she was bleeding, but made no attempt to care.

Nels asked coldly, "Who are you?"

Anna gathered the strength for a wise-crack answer.

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you."

"Who are you?" He repeated, not in the mood for jokes. He knelt down.

Anna did not reply.

Nels was getting annoyed. And he was no good at containing his temper.

In a split second, a flash of silver had emerged from his belt and its cold metal was being jabbed into the skin on her neck as he propped her back up against his knee. He was ready to kill her. It all occurred in one fluid movement.

"I believe I asked you a question, and I won't repeat myself again. And don't you dare lie to me, or it will be your last breath," he growled in a low, threatening voice, jabbing the knife blade a little harder into the side of her neck.

"I- I'm Princess Anna of Arendelle," she managed to sputter. Was it the threat in his voice, the knife blade piercing her skin, or the fact that she was probably going to die in this forest all alone, that was getting to her?

With that he immediately pulled his knife back and stood up, letting her back fall to the ground.

"Boys," he said, a triumphant grin spreading across his face, "We might have just landed the plunder of our lives."

"Whaddaya mean, boss? She's just a girlie," came Wiley's notoriously stupid reply.

Nels turned on him. "Shut up, you nitwit! She herself is not the plunder, but the plunder is the riches she could bring!"

"What do you have in mind, boss?" Huck asked. He wasn't sure where his leader was going with this.

Nels looked at his right-hand man, excitement shining in his eyes.

"Okay, lemme explain. She's the Princess, right? Royalty! And don't you think that if she were gone a few days, people would notice?" Nels asked, his grin wicked.

"I know we normally just rob coaches, but this is even better. It's the grand scheme! If we were able to pull this off, we'd be _rich_! See, if we were to keep Princess here with us for a bit, her kingdom would panic. We can send somebody with a message to Arendelle. We'll tell them, 'we've got your Princess.' And we'll hold her for ransom! Imagine all the gold they'll pay for their Princess's safety. Mmmm, I can smell it now!" He rubbed his hands together in satisfaction.

"Sounds like a winner to me, Nels," Huck replied. "Yeah, this will definitely work! It-"

He suddenly stopped and stared past the trees, sensing something.

"Eh? Wot's wrong, Huck?" Wiley asked in his usual dim manner.

"Shhhhh!" Huck hissed, covering Wiley's mouth swiftly.

Nels heard it too.

It was a faint shout in the distance. They could barely hear it, but had enough sense to conclude that someone was looking for the Princess. Well, Nels and Huck had enough sense, anyway.

Anna perked up, seeing her chance. She was about to scream at the top of her lungs, but Nels was quicker.

He quickly stifled her upcoming cry with his handkerchief.

Nels spoke softly. "This'll be easier and faster than I thought. They're already looking for her. Quick, light a fire. That'll show 'em where we are."

**Author's note: Yikes, that chapter was incredibly hard to write. I hope it didn't come out too bad. Hope I didn't disappoint you. (as a side note, I had imagined the character Nels to look and sound like Logan Lerman. Look him up on Google if you don't know him. But you don't have to imagine him that way if you don't want to. That's why I didn't describe him very much. Just a little blerb, btw) But thank you thank thank you soooo much to linzeeeK, RhapsodyinB, ElsaLover4Ever and crazzyforlove77 for the reviews and follows and faves. You have no idea how much it means to me. The best thing to a writer is seeing the readers enjoying the writing. Thank you luvmoony89 for the follow also. I am so happy and amazed with all the support that the story is getting. It pains me that I make you guys wait so long for the chapters to come out. But it takes me a while to put it down on paper. You guys should know that I read every review, as I am very interested in my reader's feedback. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH! LOVE YA! More to come!**

**-Sydni :)**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Kristoff, Elsa and Hans rode towards the smoke wordlessly, each preoccupied with their own thoughts. Anna was the first priority on everyone's mind at this moment. The air was tense with anticipation and worry.

As Sven bolted through the forest, the smell of smoke became stronger. The scent grew progressively more detectable the farther they traveled, and eventually they found themselves in a small clearing.

Kristoff said, "Stop, Sven." Sven obeyed.

Their eyes wandered around the clearing, and fell upon a savagely constructed fire pit with a flame ablaze in it.

_Here we are,_ Hans thought.

They dismounted the sled and looked around, each calling Anna's name.

Kristoff wandered from the group, drifting away further. "Anna?" He called. "Anna, are you out there? It's me, Kristoff." He quickly scanned the area for her beautiful red locks, searching for his girl furiously.

"Hi."

Kristoff whirled around toward the noise. And there, not ten feet away from him, sat Anna under a tree.

"Anna!" He began to run towards her. Then he stopped.

A second look revealed that her hands were bound, she was bleeding, and she was not alone. A young man sat behind her, gripping her side with one hand. His other hand was wielding a knife, the blade held in front of her neck, ready to slice her at any moment. Anna was being held at knifepoint.

"You come any closer, and she's dead," came the voice of the young man.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It had all happened in a blur. She remembered that she had been running numbly through the forest when she suddenly encountered those bandits. Next thing she knew, she was being kidnapped. Kidnapped! Held against her own will like a prisoner! She was no match for those three gruff, ragged men.

It all happened so quickly. It was difficult to recall the events clearly.

She remembered that they had heard voices from the distance, ways away in the woods. She remembered those distant sounds. She knew she had to call for help, but Nels's mind was faster than hers, and he had prevented her from doing so. She recalled the handkerchief that Nels had produced from his pocket being swiftly and roughly shoved into her mouth. Her ears had been ringing and she was unable to register any sound other than her pounding heart, but Nels's lips were moving, and his men were quickly assembling a fireplace out of rocks, and were placing wood inside it. Soon a fire had been lit in the crude fireplace.

Anna recalled watching helplessly as the smoke billowed thick over the fire. If the voice heard in the distance belonged to Elsa, her sister would be lured into a scandalous trap.

She was just waiting now. Waiting for something. Waiting for nothing. Waiting for Nels to let her go. Waiting for him to kill her. All she had left to do now was be alone in her blurred thoughts and recollections and just wait. There was nothing else she could do. There was no sense in trying to escape when Nels grabbed her. She was aching with pain and fatigue, burdened with distress and depression. She was no match for him, and she didn't have the strength to struggle. It was not normal of Anna to give up. She never submitted. But now? It all seemed so pointless, so stupid. Her world no longer made sense. She was so confused, so miserable, so hurt... So what was the point in trying? The knife blade being held at her throat was far from her mind as she became lost in her own thoughts. Everything was foggy, blurry. Her mind was like the black, smoggy smoke that rose from the flames burning in the fireplace that had been constructed just out of her sight.

She was far away in the black suffocating smoke of her thoughts when she heard it. A voice. And not just any voice. A very familiar male shout, sounding desperate and worried. All it took was that voice, _his _voice, and she jolted awake from her trance. Conscious now, she saw Kristoff, still in the trees beyond the small clearing she was in. He was looking around, calling her name, but he did not see her. She wanted to shout, to call out to him, to run away towards him. She felt a singe of hope. Miraculously, her boy had found her.

But the knife held to her neck and the strong arm held around her body prevented her from so much as wiggling. She could not yell out, for she were sure that the knife would work its way into her neck. Also, it hurt to talk. Her throat was agonizingly sore, and her voice was frail and weak.

She finally mustered up every ounce of strength left in her broken little body. She sucked in a breath of air.

"Hi."

The voice that came from her own mouth was faint and soft. It would be a wonder if Kristoff heard it. And of all things to say, she had said 'hi'. Was she not in the arms of a bandit, against her will, bloody and weak, with a knife held against her throat? And she had offered Kristoff a casual greeting? She was so out-of-whack that she couldn't think straight or say what she had intended to.

She only watched as her Kristoff wheeled around to face the pathetic noise she had made. She watched as his face managed to both drop and light up at the sight of her. He called out her name, and her gaze did not waver from him as he bounded toward her. She could only watch in agony and pain as it all clicked for Kristoff. She absolutely hated to see that look of dread and horror and confusion painted upon his face at the moment he put together all the pieces he saw through his eyes. It was one thing for _her_ to be hurting and confused, but someone else? Especially her beloved Kristoff? Kristoff's pain was felt by her three times over. She could not stand to see someone else's sadness; that was the way to stick a dagger through her heart.

So she looked on in agony as Kristoff stopped abruptly and fixed her with that distressed look. Her pain was evident in her face.

Why did she have to cause so much pain?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kristoff stopped in his tracks. He started breathing heavily. His heart pounded in his ears. It took a few moments for his brain to analyze what the man had said. Only then did he become conscious of what was happening, and what was at stake.

Hatred filled his gut. A fiery rage burned strong in his heart.

_What has this monster been doing with Anna? How did I ever let this happen? I should have came sooner. But now this punk is gonna pay._

He clenched his fists.

"Let her go," he growled through gritted teeth.

"Why would I do that?" The bandit replied almost casually.

"Let her _go_," Kristoff repeated, his fury multiplying by the second.

"I don't see that happening so easily," was the man's smug reply.

Okay, now this guy was doing a little bit more than getting on Kristoff's nerves.

"If you don't get that knife away from her throat and gently release her within three seconds, I'm going to have to come over there. And it won't be pretty," Kristoff roared.

The criminal laughed. "You bet. Poor little Anna's blood would be all over the place. But, you could have her corpse. Dead bodies freak me out," he jeered.

Kristoff was absolutely seething, boiling with anger.

"I am going to say this one more time: let- her- go," Kristoff said darkly.

A devious grin emerged on the other man's face.

"That could be arranged," he started devilishly. "But the circumstances will differ depending on whether you want her dead or alive."

Kristoff's eyebrow rose. "What do you mean?"

The bandit laughed cruelly. "Oh, you know. I have something, or _someone_, rather, that you want... But you have something that I want." This was taking a turn that Kristoff wasn't all too fond of.

"What do you want?" Kristoff asked, willing to give anything for Anna.

"Oh, nothing much, really. But first, I want you to bring the Queen to me."

Kristoff opened his mouth to speak. But then he stopped abruptly and turned around, for there was a voice that rang out behind him, but it was not his.

"That won't be necessary," the voice sounded. "Her Majesty is right here."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Author's note: OK, I am really sorry that I took WAY too long to post this. And I know that this was a short, terrible chapter, but I am working on another chapter that's really long, and it's almost finished. Chapters 17 & 18 were originally going to be one long chapter, but I had too much I wanted to write down for it all to be in one chapter. So don't worry, next chapter will be much better and much longer. I knew what I wanted to say in this chapter, but I'm not pleased with the final product. Sorry if I disappointed you. But I PROMISE you will not be disappointed with the next chapter. I'm especially grateful for the continued support that this story has been getting. Thank you readers! Thanks Alanna official, Milk of Awesomeness, xrosheart2013, RhapsodyinB, Flutejrp, nabilahswift, thunder child 14, Ivyflight, and RogerTheCat for the follows & faves! As fellow authors, you guys know how great it is when you get a follow, favorite, or review! Also, I really want your criticism. So if you have time, it would be great if you could tell me what I can improve on my writing. It really helps. There's always room for improvement, as I like to say. Also, I like it when you guys tell me what parts of the story you especially enjoyed or certain scenes/lines that got your attention. Special thanks to those who have been doing that! Thank you for all the reviews! Thank you for follows & faves! I love it! More to come, the new chapter will be posted soon. Don't worry, I'm working on it. PS sorry that this author's note is, like, longer than the chapter itself! :P**

**Thanks you guys.**

**-Sydni :)**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The whole group- Anna, Kristoff, and the bandit- immediately turned toward the sound of the voice.

They watched as its owner emerged in the distance. Kristoff recognized the man appearing before him to be Hans (and a scowl immediately formed on his face) and following behind him was the Queen.

After a few moments of shock, the bandit recovered. "What a pleasure, Your Majesty," he said with mock respect.

Mind you, he was still holding the knife in front of Anna's neck, and only then did Elsa comprehend what she was seeing. Everyone had been fazed at some point in this situation.

"Anna!" She called out as she started toward her sister in a frenzied sprint.

The man let the cold metal of the knife blade come in contact with Anna's neck slightly. Before Elsa could get too close to the Princess, he yelled, "Highness, I should warn you to stop before this girl's head gets chopped clean off her body."

She halted abruptly, a few feet closer to Anna than Kristoff had managed. Her blood ran cold. Fortunately, her head was a bit quicker than Kristoff's.

"What do you want for her?" Elsa managed to choke out.

"Let's not be too hasty, Highness," the man shot her a crooked grin. "It isn't right to jump straight away into business without being acquainted with your guests first. So, I am Nels. I would stick out a hand to shake but they are quite full with this here knife and girl at the moment." Nels sneered.

Elsa knew that she couldn't rescue Anna if Nels didn't oblige. And she knew that he wouldn't oblige unless she played along in his stupid game. He acted as though it were all a joke.

"I'm Queen Elsa, that's Hans, and he's Kristoff," Elsa murmured, gesturing at the appropriate person when she said each name.

"Wonderful, wonderful," chortled Nels. "Now that we all know each other, let's get down to business." He sported a vile smirk. His wild eyes darted from Elsa to Hans to Kristoff and back again.

"You see, I believe we can strike a nice bargain here. How it goes is this: you kind folks have something that I want, and I got something that you want. Do you follow?"

Elsa only narrowed her eyes in response.

Nels snickered. "I'll take that as a 'yes', although I would have preferred a 'yes, we follow, Nels'."

Kristoff glared at him.

Hans scowled towards Nels.

Elsa responded, "Great. But what is it that you want?"

Nels cleared his throat. "Good question. Here's the answer: I want gold. And I want a lot of it. And I want it as a free man. So don't go runnin' back to your castle calling the guards. I'm not gonna be arrested. Because if that's what happens, then consider Anna here already dead." On cue, he tightened his grip on Anna and tensed, ready to slice her throat.

Anna whimpered, and Elsa flinched at her sister's sound.

Elsa was utterly distraught. How could she have been so careless, so stupid, so selfish? The fact that her sister's life was at stake was the one thing she was able to comprehend. And it was entirely her fault. Not even partially her fault. It was _entirely_ because of her. Now she had to face this disgusting pig, this rotten bandit, and somehow come up with a deal. Elsa was revolted. Apparently it didn't bother Nels to actually "sell" a living person like property. She was _bargaining_ for her sister's life for crying out loud! Putting a price tag in gold on her sister's skin! Nels really was treating Anna like property. She was no more than _property_ to him! And Anna was _nobody's_ property! She couldn't imagine what her sister must be going through if even Elsa was boiling like this!

_Okay, Elsa, calm down. You can't talk to this fool when you're seething mad,_ Elsa thought, taking deep breaths. But how could she _not _be mad?

The air hung still with silence as no one spoke. But the knife was still being held to Anna's neck; the tension was still swirling about; all their hearts still beat fast and loud; their breaths were drawn heavily; and most certainly, a passion still burned bright and strong within Kristoff's chest.

_Why are we just standing around? Why didn't I punch this fool out yet? Why haven't I rescued Anna yet?_ Thoughts swirled around Kristoff like snowflakes in a blizzard.

It was the ice harvester who cut through the silence as he cuts through the ice. He could not contain his disgust any longer, and the silence was getting to his head.

"You're a disgusting man, you know that?" Kristoff growled, fixing Nels with a glare full of hatred.

"Why, thank you," Nels said as though he had just been given a particularly courteous compliment.

Kristoff then clenched his fists. He stood up straight and for a moment looked like he was going to take a step closer to the other man. There was a fire in his eyes, and glistening in it a passion unmatched by anything else. His expression clearly conveyed his bubbling anger. The man pushed Kristoff over the edge with his hideous antics and abusive way of treating dear Anna. The others may be able to sit around and take it, but Kristoff had absolutely had it.

He let the fire take over. "You act like this is all a joke. Nothing matters to you, huh, funny guy? Well, let me tell you something. This is no joke. Let me tell you what _is_ a joke," Kristoff shouted furiously. "Here's a pretty funny joke- your heart. It's funny, because clearly, you don't have one. What a great, loving man you are. You can do things that are only good for yourself. Very considerate. How selfless. I _really _admire you.

"Wanna hear another joke? Your courage. It must be pretty brave to attack someone when they are weakest. When they're vulnerable and hurt. You're some warrior, now, aren't you?

"Know what I think is funny? The fact you think you are all that, some sort of big-shot or something. You think you're so high and mighty because you can capture an injured princess. Because you have us back-against-the-wall, in your hands, under your mercy. Well, there is only _one_ reason why you have us in a stranglehold right now. And it's because we love. We have hearts. We know that some things are more important than riches. Like a human being, for example. And that's one thing that you'll apparently never learn. You will always be one thing. A-"

But Kristoff was cut off.

Nels's features were twisted into something Kristoff had never seen before. His eyes were wild. A devilish, malicious grin curled upon his lips. It was as though Kristoff were glaring at the face of the Devil himself.

Nels interrupted Kristoff. "A monster," he finished quietly, his wicked grin spreading.

"A MONSTER!" He unleashed a bloodcurdling roar, unveiling twenty years worth of hatred and ferocious anger buried inside.

Nels let loose on a demonic rampage then. With the hand free of his knife, he grabbed Anna by her neck and slammed her against the thick tree trunk he was standing beside. He thrusted his hand with a tremendous force as the result of his adrenaline.

Anna immediately crumpled to the ground. Her head had connected with the tree in a sickening thump. She whimpered in immense pain as she lay collapsed on the ground. Her vision began to blur, and her ears rang even louder, making it hard to hear anything at all.

"ANNA!"

Nels's shoulders heaved up and down, staring down at Anna in satisfaction. When his eyes lifted, he saw Kristoff bolting toward him like a mad bull. His grin only widened when Kristoff collided with him, knocking him to the ground with a thump after landing a ferocious punch to Nels's jaw. A disgusting crack was heard. Nels ignored the throbbing, tremendous pain as he rose to his feet, for he was enjoying another satisfaction. There was a knife stuck in his enemy's upper thigh.

Kristoff cried out in pain at the blade lodged in his leg. The pain was immense, unbearable.

"KRISTOFF!" The fearful scream that sounded off was undoubtedly Anna's.

Nels laughed cruelly at this, amused, providing further support for Kristoff's accusation of him being heartless. Then, he turned to Kristoff. Nels grabbed hold of the knife still piercing Kristoff's leg.

"This," he growled through gritted teeth as he pulled out the knife, "belongs to me!"

Kristoff winced and pulled back, both hands moving to the wound instinctively as he shouted out in pain.

Blood gushed out of the large open cut, and Kristoff began to feel a bit woozy. The knife had avoided his femur bone, and had not sunk in too deep. The affliction was insufferable, but he fought through his pain out of sheer adrenaline and anger.

"KRISTOFF!" Anna shrieked again. She attempted to crawl towards him, but was physically unable to. She whimpered, helpless. She was distraught, and desperately wanted to go to Kristoff.

Kristoff, noticing what she was attempting to do, worried. He didn't want that scum's hands on her again. And he definitely didn't want anything like Anna's sacrifice during the Whiteout to happen again. "I'm fine, Anna. Don't worry about me," he growled, although he knew it was physically impossible for Anna not to desperately want to intervene.

Once again, Nels snickered. With the blood-splattered knife in his hand, he lunged toward Kristoff.

This time, Kristoff side-stepped the attack. He brought his hands up in defense as he waited for a moment to exploit Nels. Although he desperately wanted to down him with a powerful, wild haymaker, Kristoff knew he had to play safe, for Nels had the advantage in this situation. Kristoff was wounded and unarmed, while Nels had a knife. He needed to stay alive for Anna's sake.

It was only then, when he sidestepped Nels's lunge, that he could see what had been going on behind him. In his new position, Kristoff could see two other bandits- one big and burly, the other bald and scrawny- as well as two apparent captives. From the one glimpse he had, he noticed two other figures, about thirty yards away, bound in ropes. The bandits seemed to be getting lazy and cocky; they had their backs turned from their hostages and were laughing together mildly. He noticed that one of the captives was struggling in the ropes.

But Kristoff quickly had to look away from the skeptical scene behind him as he turned his attention to his opponent, just in time to evade an oncoming attack. Then it dawned on him. Those two people bound in the the ropes were Elsa and Hans! They must have managed to get tied up while he was losing himself to his hatred towards Nels.

He groaned internally. _Do I have to save EVERYBODY?_ he thought.

But what could he do? He had to finish off this freak before he did anything else. First things first.

Nels swung his weapon at Kristoff again, and this time Kristoff wasn't fast enough. The blade grazed his exposed left arm slightly, forming a small cut and drawing blood.

"Kristoff!"

The pain of this wound was not significant to Kristoff, but it was no help as his adrenaline supply was running low. He was becoming all the more aware of the monumental pain his leg was in, and his dizziness was worsening. He continued loosing blood.

Clearly overambitious because of his previous hit, Nels lunged forward carelessly with a lot of momentum.

Kristoff saw his chance and struck Nels with a forceful kick to the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. But Nels refused to fully lose his balance and remained standing, doubled over, his arms clutching his stomach. Kristoff hit him with a fierce uppercut to his face, and it connected with a mighty thwack. Nels fell to the ground with a slight groan, but rose quickly. His nose was bleeding and looked crooked, and was already beginning to bruise nastily. Knife in hand, he returned to a fighting stance. He grinned again, his eyes crazy.

"Once I'm through with you, I'm gonna have a mighty fun time with your girl. And I am going to savor every single moment of her suffering."

At this, Kristoff shouted mightily and came at Nels in pure rage.

"You- will- not- TOUCH- her!" He bellowed, loosing his cool and heaving a forceful punch at Nels.

But Nels nimbly dodged the strike, and he countered, slicing Kristoff across the body.

"Kristoff!" Anna cried. Once again she stirred, trying to get to her feet, to crawl, to move at all. But she didn't have the strength. Her fatigue and wounds were taking their toll.

The knife blade did not strike any deeper than his skin, but it stung and began to ooze blood. His shirt had a cut across the stomach from where Nels struck him. Kristoff's right hand clutched his newest wound, but still, he ignored the pain. Sure, now he had a new injury, but he was no longer in need of adrenaline. Nels's latest comment made steam pour out of Kristoff's ears. But still, one could only fight off blood loss for so long...

Kristoff returned to his defensive stance, forbidding himself to be caught off guard. He eyed his opponent, focusing deeply. The intervals between Nels's strikes were becoming fewer and farther between.

Kristoff jumped to the side as he evaded an incoming lunge from Nels. Nels then slashed horizontally, aiming at Kristoff's head. Kristoff was quicker, though, and promptly ducked, managing to sneak in an elbow of his own to Nels's gut before he rose.

Nels stepped back at the impact, struggling to regain his balance. He moved backward a few paces. But he did not fall and reclaimed his footing.

_This has gone on far too long. Time for the grand finale,_ thought Nels.

With the same corrupted grin and untamed twinkle in his eyes, Nels howled mightily. He then launched himself at Kristoff, springing at him in midair with his body parallel to the ground. He was just about to tackle Kristoff and plunge the knife into his chest when-

"NOOOO!"

_Crack_.

Everything faded to black in Nels's eyes.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

His life flashed before his eyes.

_So,_ he thought. _This is the end. Goodbye, world. Goodbye, Anna. _

He heard a piercing scream and a mighty crack. He held his eyelids shut tight, waiting for his certain death. The only image that remained in his head was that knife blade, poised to kill. Seconds ticked by like hours, each one drifting in the air. Only then did he gather the courage to slightly peak open one eye timidly. What he saw only confused him. It was the forest, the exact same way it was before he closed his eyes. With one exception: Nels was crumpled in a heap at Kristoff's side, like an old ratty cloak tossed carelessly onto the floor.

Further examination showed that the side of Nels's head was fractured. Blood trickled out. The injury appeared to be very serious, going down to his skull.

"How...?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

That had been the worst torture she ever been forced to endure in her entire life. She had been forced to watch it all; she was a witness against her own will. Her unmoving legs and broken body imprisoned her on that forest floor: she longed to get up and attack that fool Nels, but it was her own fatigue and injuries that had prevented her from doing so. And Nels had known that too. He hadn't even bothered tying her up well, knowing that she couldn't run off no matter how hard she tried. He fed off of her suffering and ill attempts like a leech, that disgusting pig.

She winced every time Nels moved his blade. Each time a sword penetrated Kristoff's skin it would do the same to her heart, and each glimpse at Kristoff's wounds reopened a wound within her.

Everything she loved was being destroyed, and she could only lay on the ground and watch. Her heart pounded in her ears, but she was not sure how much longer it would beat until it collapsed of agony. She was not sure what more they could do to her if she descended to Hell.

But then her worst fears came true in the blink of an eye. For that one moment, time stood still, and all the stars in the sky peered down to watch. She had seen that terrible malice in Nels's eyes, the same scheming wickedness that had glimmered in Hans's eyes when he swung his sword at Elsa. And she knew what he was going to do.

This time, she would not be confined to watching. She would not sit by idly as he took everything she had left. She would not allow it.

"NOOOO!" She screamed, a hurricane of powerful emotions consuming her.

Anna's eyes fell on a large rock a few feet away from her arms. She saw her chance, and she worked every muscle in her shattered body to reach for it. She wrapped her fingers around the cold stone and summoned all the strength she possessed. She sat up, spotted her target and narrowed her eyes. With all she had left, she heaved the rock at her demon, tears streaming down her face.

She collapsed onto the ground, her strength dying out. Her heart was thumping so loud that she did not hear the sickening crack of stone meeting bone. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to lay there on her stomach in the ground, her tears wetting the grass. She stayed there for several moments, weeping silently. Only when she heard a familiar confused voice did she open her eyes.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kristoff stood back up.

Big mistake. The pain from his leg ripped through his body. He once again became aware of his nausea and wooziness. He felt a bit faint, but the pain shooting through his body was not faint in the slightest. Kristoff howled at the feeling.

"Kristoff?" A fragile, weak voice inquired.

He turned his head to see Anna, collapsed on the ground about ten yards away from him. Her elbows and forearms were planted on the ground and she held her head up so she could look at him.

"Anna!"

He dashed towards her immediately. But once again he stopped abruptly, pain halting him. He griped with pain and moved his hands to his leg instinctively.

"Kristoff!" Her weak voice was firmer now, sick with worry. She stirred, trying to rise to her feet, but she didn't possess the strength to move or pull herself up. She whimpered, tired of being hurt and helpless. Anna looked at Kristoff longingly. "Kr... Kristoff?" Her frail voice was barely a whisper.

Kristoff winced at the sound of her weak voice. He secretly hated himself for allowing Nels to strike him. Not because of the pain it caused him, but because of the pain it caused Anna.

He slowly and tentatively moved his hands away from his injured, blood-soaked leg.

_I have to be strong,_ he thought. _For Anna._

He made his way to Anna, ignoring the immense pain of his injuries. He then knelt right before her. He gently helped her to her knees, careful not to hurt her, and wordlessly pulled her into a loving hug, savoring every moment.

When they slowly pulled away after a while, he saw her puffy eyes and the moisture on her cheeks. His eyes widened with horror. "Anna... It's alright now. We're going to be fine."

He instinctively stroked her cheek when a sudden noise in the distance startled him.

He wheeled around to see what it was. It had almost sounded like... Glass shattering? But there's no glass in the middle of a forest. He must have been finally loosing it.

Glass shattering, or..._ Ice_. What he saw confirmed his thoughts. He saw Hans, free of the ropes that had once bound him, sword-fighting a bandit. No, make that _two_ bandits. Kristoff witnessed a bandit attempting to strike Hans. But when the blade was about to touch him, ice appeared in front of Hans, protecting him. Then it shattered with the force of the blow. He looked over to see Elsa, hands and feet bound in ropes, kneeling on the ground. Her hands were bound, but she could still use her powers to protect Hans.

Kristoff was in the middle of his "what the?" phase when Hans looked over at him, his blade held against that of the smaller bandit. Hans, a skilled swordsman, held back the bald bandit's attacks without even looking at his opponent.

"Sorry to interrupt you lovebirds, but I could use a hand!" Hans called, ducking just in time to dodge another strike. He then returned his attention to the battle at hand, for the big bandit returned to the fray. Elsa braced herself to put a wall of ice between the bandit and Hans.

Kristoff then turned and gazed back at Anna longingly.

"I'm coming with you," she said, anticipating what he was going to say. "I'm sick of sitting around watching. I want to follow you."

"No, Anna, it's too dangerous. That's crazy. You're hurt."

"How is it too dangerous for me but not you? Do you think I can't handle myself?" Anna demanded in her usual stubborn manner.

"No, Anna-"

"-I'm coming with you. No matter what you say."

Then his expression hardened. "NO, you're NOT," he practically shouted.

Anna gave him the evil eye.

Still, Kristoff wouldn't budge. "Anna, you're not fighting them. You can't even walk, much less fight. I won't let you. I... I don't want anything to happen to you. I've already let too many other things happen to you. But I'm not going to risk anything this time. You're... You're all I have."

And with that, he picked her up, rose to his feet, and carried her to a nearby tree, where he sat her down against the tree trunk. Anna did not appreciate being carried around like that, so she was kicking and fighting all the while. But when Kristoff propped her up against the trunk, she accepted defeat. But she didn't agree, not one bit, with sitting against this tree while Kristoff goes to help Hans.

"Don't you dare get hurt, Kristoff," she said softly. "Because you're all I have."

He softened at her words, and could only manage a nod in return. Then, he turned and ran off towards the location of Hans, ignoring the tremendous pain in his leg and the nausea and dizziness that threatened to take over him at any moment. He ran with all his might, knowing that Anna would be safe after this and they could return home.

"You took your sweet old time, huh?" Hans yelled at him while his sword clashed with Wiley's. Apparently Hans had not progressed in defeating the bandits at all. Hans was focusing on holding off their relentless string of attacks, and his damp hair and many beads of sweat were proof that this was no easy job, with the help of the Snow Queen or not. Despite him being significantly skilled with a blade, battling two men at once was an incredibly onerous task.

"Over there, Kristoff!" Elsa called, nodding her head in the direction of the fire pit.

Kristoff followed her gaze and saw a rusty sword laying idly on the ground a few feet away from the fire. He nodded and sprinted towards it, taking the weapon in his hand. It felt awkward, for he was used to wielding a pick axe.

"Oi! That ain't yers! That's Nels's sword. Yer stealing! And that's me and Huck's job, not yers!" The bald bandit screeched.

"Get him, Wiley!" The bandit known as Huck bellowed.

Wiley charged toward him. For such a skinny man, it was a wonder how he moved so quickly. Wiley didn't waste any time as he immediately lunged at Kristoff once in range.

Kristoff parried the attack outward, but left his other side completely vulnerable, and Wiley capitalized. He spun around and slashed Kristoff across his body in a graceful move. Kristoff took a few steps back as the pain of the strike sunk in. Kristoff was mildly surprised that Wiley was adept with a sword. Hans had made him look like a novice. And Wiley's grungy, scrawny appearance did not exactly give Kristoff a good first impression.

Kristoff, on the other hand, had never wielded a sword in his life before today. He felt inept and oafish with the blade in his hand. Once again, he was the underdog, being injured, bloody, light-headed, and a foreigner to the sword.

Nevertheless, he attempted an overhand strike at Wiley. Consequentially, his whole body was left exposed, and Wiley promptly shoulder-rolled out of the way and slashed Kristoff's thigh. Kristoff grunted in pain and took a few steps backward. He was lucky Wiley hadn't struck his other leg.

"You ain't never used a blade, eh? Either that o' ya really stink at it," Wiley laughed, revealing a mouth that had apparently never heard of oral hygiene.

_Uh-oh._ Was it really that obvious that he didn't know how to use a sword? This was not good.

"Kristoff, the sword isn't like a pick axe. You can't strike with huge windup motions, or you'll be exposed. Sorta like what just happened," Hans called to him, despite being engaged in his own fight with Huck.

Kristoff felt a singe of mild embarrassment at Hans having to call him out like that. But he couldn't be embarrassed for long, for Wiley was coming at him again.

"Oi! Someone who don't know 'ow tah use a blade shouldn't be holding Nels's sword!" Wiley shouted as he lunged at Kristoff.

This time, Kristoff parried with a small motion and hit Wiley with a sharp counter strike, which was successful.

Wiley flinched at the contact, not expecting to be struck. He recovered and grunted angrily. "I'll make ya pay for that!" He growled menacingly, returning to his stance. He inflicted upon Kristoff a flurry of quick, unyielding, ferocious strikes. Kristoff was hit again and again with no time to recover. He moaned out in pain.

Still, Wiley would not halt his vindictive fury, and continued to belt Kristoff with his masterful sword strikes.

By the time Wiley stopped to take a breath, Kristoff's clothes were in tatters and blood was seeping through the holes. Every inch of his body was screaming with pain, and their cries did not go unnoticed. He fell to his knees, his hands sprawled on the ground beneath him. He groaned. Kristoff squeezed his eyes shut, his teeth clenched. _Get up. Get up. Get up..._

But he couldn't. Strength had forsaken him, vigor had abandoned him. He was cursed with suffering, burdened with pain. And he could not shoulder the weight any longer.

Wiley looked down at Kristoff, enjoying every moment of his enemy's demise. An evil fire blazed in his eyes. Kristoff was on his hands and knees, overcome with pain. With a wicked laugh, Wiley raised his sword over his head.

And here came his finishing move. He swung his blade from over his head, slashing down at Kristoff in a big over-hand strike.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Author's note: Cue the "dun- dun- dun!" Anyways, I am really sorry with how late this chapter came out. I know I said "Soon", but you know how it is, stuff happens. I guess I wrote way more with this chapter than I originally intended and it took more time than I intended. Hope you forgive me. I hope you guys are still reading this! Sorry for the long wait. Care to share Favorite parts, anyone? Thank you BalancerA, mollykristen, asgards, Gloriacph, Frozenisthebestever, and iamloveCynder for the follows & faves. Thank you soooooooooo much BalancerA for your review. Made my day. Authors love that stuff. But really I'm not satisfied with my writing. If there's anything you know I can improve on, let me know! Thank you so much linzeeeK for your review :D Thank you to all readers! I LOVE YOU GUYS :D PLEASE give me feed back. I really need to improve my writing. There is a lot I am discontent with, and if you know any specific examples to target, that'd be great. Any tips and spelling / grammar corrections are great. I read all reviews and I like knowing your favorite parts of the story and stuff :D So thank you for all the reviews :) I am extremely happy with all the attention and stuff this story has been getting. I couldn't ask for anything more! You guys are great, thank you for reading and sticking with this story! I apologize for all the inconveniences of the long waits. I'm gonna try to work on that. You guys are great! Love ya! More to come, I promise! Thanks!**

**-Sydni :)**


End file.
